Common Sense Media Review
By Alistair Lawrence
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Australian crime drama has violence, language, drugs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Transfusion
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
TRANSFUSION follows ex-special forces operative Ryan Logan (Sam Worthington), who turns to crime to try and keep his family together.
Is It Any Good?
This Australian action flick is more thoughtful than your average testosterone-fueled crime thriller. Transfusion shows the slow-burn effect of a war hero struggling to cope with a particularly harsh return to everyday life. Cast as the troubled Ryan, Worthington internalizes grief and trauma to the point where we can almost read his thoughts. What lets down a promising character study is the abrupt, 10-year jump into the movie's second act. Ryan's now-teenage son Billy isn't given any time to develop on-screen, and Edward Carmody's shy and introspective performance never quite matches what we're told about him. Various flashback scenes lead to a lopsided script that further under-serves Billy's story. The rest is a cliched, repetitive tale of a principled former soldier -- ill-equipped for a civilian existence -- being drawn into a life of crime. Writer-director (and actor) Matt Nable delivers the pacing and the action, but we could've done with some variety. One nice, comic misdirect during a robbery scene shows that there was a bit more room here to maneuver. But instead we're robbed of any real surprises or tension.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the extreme violence in Transfusion. What impact did it have? What consequences were there? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Discuss Ryan and Billy's relationship. How did it change over time, as their family dynamic altered?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
Talk about Ryan's motives. Why did he do what he did? Could you understand why? What else could he have done?
How were drinking, smoking, and drugs depicted? Were they glamorized? Were there consequences? Why does that matter?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 3, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : April 18, 2023
- Cast : Sam Worthington , Matt Nable , Edward Carmody
- Director : Matt Nable
- Studio : Saban Films
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 106 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, language throughout, teen drinking and drug use
- Last updated : February 27, 2023
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
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate