Common Sense Media Review
By Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Flashback-heavy action thriller fails to grip, has violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Pieces of Her
What's the Story?
Based on the 2018 novel by the same name, PIECES OF HER begins with a Saturday afternoon trip to a restaurant that suddenly explodes into violence and causes an adrift young woman's (Bella Heathcote) concept of her mother (played by Toni Colette) to be forever changed.
Is It Any Good?
Despite a gripping and finely acted opening act, this series fails to deliver on the type of artful suspense and nuance it hints at early on. Pieces of Her starts off with a bang, and even manages to do something interesting with the prototypical action thriller by centering around a mother-daughter relationship, but that's where the positives end. As we're drawn deeper into this violent and increasingly convoluted story, it becomes harder and harder to keep caring. Overstuffed with flashbacks and tired action scenes, the show feels too long and the viewer wonders if the book may have been better served being made into a movie instead. Despite the prolonged journey, we learn frustratingly little about the characters and what's going on in their heads. Laura, played by Toni Collette, is particularly hard to connect and empathize with because so much of her story is hidden from view until the very end. When all is finally revealed, the elicited response is more of a collective shrug than a gasp.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in this series. Does all the violence serve the story, or does it go too far? How would your feelings be different if you witnessed these things in real life?
How were flashbacks used to tell the story? Was it helpful or confusing?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 4, 2022
- Cast : Jessica Barden , Toni Collette , Omari Hardwick
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : January 14, 2025
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