Parents' Guide to Undergods

Movie NR 2021 92 minutes
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Common Sense Media Review

Alistair Lawrence By Alistair Lawrence , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Dystopian fantasy collection has language, violence, trauma.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

UNDERGODS is an episodic fantasy movie containing stories that are connected by their decaying, dystopian European setting. In each story, various characters try to survive the harsh living conditions and traumatic experiences.

Is It Any Good?

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

The debut feature from writer-director Chino Moya, this fantasy thriller suffers from a common complaint about music video and commercial directors transitioning into movies. Undergods has plenty of style, but not much substance. While this anthology of stories takes place in a well-shot, visually rich world, its characters rarely talk or behave in believable ways. As a result, each segment groans under the weight of seeming like it is trying to be a metaphor for something ­-- possibly how the modern world is slowly eroding people's living standards and ability to communicate effectively with one another. But everyone we meet is too cold and distant for us to care about their fates, or what overarching point it feels like the filmmaker is trying to make.

Moya would likely be able to create something dark, mysterious and humorous with a stronger script. But Undergods ends up trapped in the uneventful world it is trying to both warn us about and escape.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the the world in which Undergods is set. In what ways was it recognizable, but also different, to today's world? Did it remind you of any other movies that are set in a world familiar but unlike our own?

  • Talk about the violence in the movie. Was it shocking or thrilling? Why? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?

  • Discuss some of strong language used. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?

  • Discuss the large cast of characters. Did you enjoy watching lots of stories set in one place? Would you have preferred to follow some of them more and others less? What connected the movie's different stories. How were the characters similar despite being from different walks of life?

  • How was this movie different to other fantasy movies that you've seen? Were you surprised to watch a fantasy movie without more special effects or magic?

Movie Details

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