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Parents' Guide to

The Aviary

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Effective psychological nailbiter about evil cult.

Movie R 2022 95 minutes
The Aviary Movie: Poster

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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

In THE AVIARY, Jillian (Malin Akerman) and Blair (Lorenza Izzo) set off into the New Mexico desert, having escaped from a cult led by the charismatic, sinister Seth (Chris Messina). The women have enough food to last a couple of days, on foot, until they get to Gallup, New Mexico. They're optimistic at first, but soon creepy nightmares, and odd visions begin to unsettle them, and Blair sprains her ankle, slowing them down. After two days, they arrive at a ghost town, completely off course from their original trek, and they can't seem to find their way again. Seth's "teachings" seem to be emerging from their very cores, and soon, Seth himself seems to be hanging around. Can the women shake off Seth's influence and reach freedom?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This compact, eerie little thriller makes excellent use of its wide-open spaces, flipping them to feel creepy and menacing and establishing an ever-shifting emotional flow that grips and disquiets. Written and directed by Chris Cullari and Jennifer Raite, The Aviary narrows its razor focus on just the three main characters (plus a fourth, played by Sandrine Holt, who appears in flashbacks). The descriptions of what's happened to the women and how they got where they are are handled deftly, via natural-sounding dialogue, and the women's relationship neatly undulates between compassion/helping to animosity over kept secrets.

Since both Jillian and Blair have undergone some kind of mysterious psychological conditioning, there's no way of knowing when either of them is telling the truth, lying, or under the influence of some strange suggestion. Every behavior is fraught with uncertainty and tension, which builds when Seth begins to appear. Is he really there? Who can see him? The Aviary ends with an even more diabolical scene: a promotional ad for Seth's "services" that promises to help dismantle the mental, emotional, and spiritual "cages" that people build for themselves. It's a reminder that wolves in sheep's clothing are still worth being wary of.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Aviary's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • Are the movie's women characters strong? Do they have agency? Why does that matter?

  • What is a cult? Why would someone join a cult? Why would someone want to escape one?

  • Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? What's the appeal of survival movies?

  • What's unique about a movie with only a few characters? How does it feel different from a movie with lots of characters? How is it similar?

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