Common Sense Media Review
By JK Sooja
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bleak, dark drama has strong violence, blood, and gore.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Devil to Pay
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE DEVIL TO PAY, a mother (Danielle Deadwyler) must protect her son from a dangerous family, led by a matriarch (Catherine Dyer), determined to kill them. But in a community that has its own laws, systems of justice, and retaliation norms, how can she survive? How can she ensure the safety of her little boy?
Is It Any Good?
The performances are top notch in this dark and bleak drama. It's an entertaining watch, but there isn't much depth to The Devil to Pay, unfortunately. Even though it's easy to root for the main character, Lemon, and her adorable son, some viewers may take issue with the way the politics and cultures of Appalachian Mountain communities are so violently depicted. Thus, while the viewing is often riveting, there's an underlying sense of only a surface-level delving into life in the Appalachian Mountains. Because of this, some viewers might feel like the setting is at best used as a platform to educate people about the "brutality" of the Appalachian environment/community and at worst is merely a novelty used to warrant such a violent story and outcome.
The other issue is that pretty much the only solution to problems throughout the entire film is violence and extreme violence (killing). This reduces the complexity or depth that could have been mined, given the unique setting.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in dramas. Did the moments of violence in The Devil to Pay enhance or detract from the story? How so?
Would you have made any different decisions than Lemon? If so, what are they and why?
Would you ever live in the mountains? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 17, 2023
- Cast : Danielle Deadwyler , Catherine Dyer , Jayson Warner Smith , Adam Boyer
- Directors : Lane Skye , Ruckus Skye
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 87 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : April 1, 2023
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