Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Muddled dramedy deals with dark, disturbing topics.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Book of Henry
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 13 parent reviews
Based on 37 kid reviews
Kids say the movie features a heart-wrenching story that delves into dark themes like child abuse and grief while also delivering messages on bravery and perseverance. While the acting is praised and some viewers find the plot engaging, many agree the film's heavy subject matter, strong language, and controversial moments, such as an adult kissing a minor, make it more suited for mature audiences.
- sad themes
- strong messages
- dark content
- mixed reviews
- mature audiences
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In the dark dramedy THE BOOK OF HENRY, Henry Carpenter (Jaeden Lieberher) is a precocious sixth-grade genius who lives with his single mom, Susan (Naomi Watts), and younger brother, Peter (Jacob Tremblay). The kids at school don't like Henry much, but he's happy enough giving presentations on existential crises, rigging up elaborate contraptions in his forest playhouse with Peter, and pumping up his family's income by day trading. Then Henry notices that something terrible is happening between his wordless next-door neighbor, Christina (Maddie Ziegler), and her menacing stepdad, Glenn (Dean Norris) -- and he makes a plan to stop it.
Is It Any Good?
This genuinely odd movie is a mix of many tones and styles, shifting wildly from offbeat family comedy to dying-kid weepie to dark thriller within the space of its 100-minute running time. When viewers meet young Henry, a movie whiz-kid in the Little Man Tate mold, he's putting in a few stock trades before his mom picks him and his brother up from school in the family's blue Volvo. OK, you think, this is going to be a quirky-sweet family-against-the-odds comedy, the sort that Wes Anderson might make. But no. After doing several whimsical and (intended to be) enchanting things like cheering up a just-bullied Peter by staging an indoor snowstorm with styrofoam and a fan, Peter suddenly falls ill -- and Susan discovers that he's formulated a plan to murder their next door neighbor, Glenn ... a plan she ultimately decides to carry out for him.
If that sounds darned odd, it is. There's a world in which this plot could work, but this isn't it. Everything about this movie rings false, from Henry's outrageously elaborate steampunk playhouse (he built it when he was what? 10, 9, 8?) to his (supposed to be) picturesque creations. A young boy blows styrofoam all over the top floor of his house, and everyone thinks that's just great? Who's going to clean that up? Did the person who wrote this script never sweep? Also, distressingly, Christina is given no identity or role other than that of being a lovely, distressed damsel, waiting passively for rescue. Portraying this young girl as a symbol and a quest rather than a person is an iffy, regressive choice that may well make parents uncomfortable -- but it's just one of the many things they'll be uncomfortable with if they choose to watch Book of Henry with their kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Book of Henry's violence. How does the lack of gore affect how you feel about what you see on scree? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Henry and Susan make dangerous, even illegal choices, but their goals are ultimately well-intentioned. Does that excuse what they do?
What kind of movie is this? Is it a drama? A comedy? A thriller? How can you tell? How does a movie communicate what emotions it hopes to inspire in viewers? Consider setting, music, characterization.
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 16, 2017
- On DVD or streaming : October 3, 2017
- Cast : Naomi Watts , Jacob Tremblay , Lee Pace
- Director : Colin Trevorrow
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Focus Features
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 105 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic elements and brief strong language
- Last updated : November 25, 2019
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