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Parents' Guide to

The Dressmaker

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Irreverent dramedy about revenge deals with abuse.

Movie R 2016 118 minutes
The Dressmaker Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 8 parent reviews

LA.Smiley
LA.Smiley Adult
February 2, 2021
age 18+

Disturbing. I got hooked by cast and awesome acting but I’ll probably have nightmares.

Casting and acting was awesome. So was costuming. It’s extremely twisted and weird though and peppered with quite disturbing scenes. Overall it’s just an awful story. I should have turned it off so many times, especially at the beginning when a husband drugs his wife then proceeds to rape her. (It’s was just a quick moment you see, but it left a sickening impression.) Many things happen like this. Then, just when things start going better in the movie and I started feeling that maybe I hadn’t wasted over an hour of my life, the very worse thing you could never imagine happens!! It’s shocking and upsetting and completely senseless and makes me hate that I ever watched this. I’m 49 years old and I’m not old enough to have watch this movie. I just feel sad now and am probably going to have weird nightmares. Ugh!!! Why!!! But if you like twisted, sick, dark, terrible story lines, you probably will love it.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
MaggieS72
MaggieS72 Adult
March 5, 2021
age 16+

I want the last two hours back

This movie was such a waste of time. No strong plot and gross themes. This movie should've ended half way through

This title has:

Too much sex
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Apparently, you can go home again. That is, you can if you're Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet), aka THE DRESSMAKER. Her mother, Molly (Judy Davis), barely remembers her, and the entire town of Dungatar, Australia, appears to hate her. Tilly thinks she's cursed: Shipped off as a child when she was found standing next to a dead schoolmate, she suffers from feelings of guilt over a murder she doesn't remember committing. Her goal is to piece together the fragments of her memories in a town that has never been very kind to her or her mother. And she wants to find out once and for all if she truly is responsible for the terrible crime that people say she committed. Liam Hensworth co-stars as a young man who sees beyond Tilly's reputation.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8 ):
Kids say (4 ):

Revenge is a dish best served fashionably attired and ready to pounce in this wacky, sometimes cynical, and often winning examination of forgiveness, revenge, and everything in between. It's also a treat, simply because it takes you to unexpected places in unexpected ways. There's nothing that you could call boring in The Dressmaker. Its bold disregard for the cliched rules of Hollywood storytelling keeps the film energetic, if a little too expansive sometimes. In short, The Dressmaker -- if you'll pardon the pun -- is a near-perfect fit.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the different kinds of abuse portrayed in The Dressmaker, from childhood bullying to sexual assault within a marriage. How does it deal with these hot-button topics?

  • How does the film depict small-town living? Do you think it's accurate?

  • What role do drinking and smoking play in the story? Are they glamorized?

  • How do the residents of Dungatar treat Tilly when she returns? Are they being cruel, or are their reactions justified?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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