Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Uneven drama about sexual consent and responsibility.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
What Comes Around
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In WHAT COMES AROUND, teen Anna (Grace Van Dien) has been chatting online with Eric (Kyle Gallner), whom she met in a poetry forum. On Anna's 17th birthday, Eric shows up at her door, with an Emily Dickinson book as a gift. It turns out that he lied to her about his age -- he's 28 -- but they still have a deep personal connection and wind up having sex. After giddy texting and phone conversations, they decide to tell Anna's mom, Beth (Summer Phoenix) and her stepdad, Tim (Jesse Garcia), about their relationship. But when Beth sees Eric, she freezes. A secret past that she thought she'd put behind her has emerged once again.
Is It Any Good?
This small-world drama centers on just a few characters and has a deep emotional pull for the first two thirds, but the rest feels somehow abrupt, serving the plot more than the characters. Adapted by Scott Organ from his own play, The Thing with Feathers (the title is from a famous Dickinson poem), the blandly titled What Comes Around gets much of its power from its complex mother-daughter relationship. Both Van Dien and Phoenix (sister of River and Joaquin) give nuanced performances that build a shared history and relationship. The movie takes time to suggest a troubled past for both of them, which is now stabilized. Gallner is also fine, generating palpable passion with Van Dien.
But when it comes to tackling issues of age, consent, and responsibility, the movie seems cagey, like it doesn't quite know where to land. Then, to steer itself toward some kind of conclusion, it makes two frustrating choices. Without giving too much away, Anna decides to do something, and Beth decides not to do something, neither of which makes much logical sense. It gives the characters short shrift, and makes the ending feel forced. (The movie also resorts to a creaky plot contrivance used in every bad spy movie ever made.) Running only 85 minutes, perhaps What Comes Around should have taken a bit more time to stretch out and find its way.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about What Comes Around's depiction of sex. What values are imparted?
Where do the movie's sympathies seem to lie? With Beth? Anna? Eric? Why?
What is the mother-daughter relationship like? Is there communication? How is it similar to or different from your own relationships?
What do you think the ending means?
Did you notice any diverse representations in the movie? What about stereotypes?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 4, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : August 4, 2023
- Cast : Grace Van Dien , Kyle Gallner , Summer Phoenix
- Director : Amy Redford
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Bisexual Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : IFC Films
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 85 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : August 4, 2023
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