the missing 2003 movie review

Review of The Missing

A melodramatic and cliched tale of loss, redemption, and retribution..

2.5 out of 5 Stars, 5/10 Score

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‘The Missing’ Movie Review (2003)

By Brad Brevet

I had my doubts, but now I am apologetic as Ron Howard manages to turn The Missing into just as much of a character piece as it is a western thrill-ride, but he is not alone when it comes to the credits.

The Missing tells the story of Maggie Gilkeson (Blanchett) who is living home on the range in New Mexico. The year is 1885 and her and her two girls, Dot (Jenna Boyd) and Lilly (Evan Rachel Wood), make due as Maggie is a local doctor.

One day, Maggie’s father, Jones, who abandoned her when she was a child and spent 20 years with the Apache people, returns to reunite with his family but is turned away by his daughter.

Only a day after she shuns her father away Lilly is kidnapped by an evil witchdoctor with mystical powers and her father is the only one she can rely on to help her track down the thieves.

With a stellar cast to work with Howard gives spotlight to the characters, letting their relationships and emotions guide the story just as he did in Ransom. The audience gets to watch as the hardened shell that is Maggie is broken down and she becomes closer and closer to her father.

The performances turned in by the young Jenna Boyd ( Dickie Roberts: Child Star ) and Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen) are outstanding. The feelings they are able to let out on the screen are just as powerful as the hardened shell of a woman that Cate Blanchett portrays.

Not only in their words and dialogue are you able to see what each character is feeling, but it is something in their eyes that make you care for each one of them and you are able to feel what each one is going through.

Another aspect that gives the movie credibility is the use of the Native American language of Chiricahua. All characters in any relation to the Apache tribe were required to learn the language, including Tommy Lee Jones, and it is remarkable the power it has as it is not only used to give the film authenticity but a sense of humor.

The interaction between the members of the cast is so natural it is spooky as each one seemed to take on the role with such dedication that they actually became the characters they were portraying.

While The Missing is slow at times, as is any character driven vehicle, the result of getting to know these characters intimately is invaluable once you reach the ending of the film.

Cate Blanchett is being toted as an Oscar potential for her role in this flick but after the performances turned in by Jenna Boyd and Evan Rachel Wood these are two young girls that we must keep on our radars.

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The Missing (2003)

John Ford’s 1956 The Searchers imperfectly but provocatively illuminated a previously unexplored dark side in classic Western iconography, offering a challenging picture of a traditional John Wayne hero who was also bitterly anti-Indian and brutal enough to spend the film pursuing the honor killing of his niece, now “the leavin’s of a Comanche buck.”

Artistic/Entertainment Value

Moral/spiritual value, age appropriateness, mpaa rating, caveat spectator.

Ron Howard’s 2003 film The Missing , despite strong thematic similarities to Ford’s film, has nothing challenging or illuminating to offer, no questions to raise about contemporary assumptions, no new insights for modern audiences. In fact, where Ford’s film challenged assumptions and attitudes still current in 1956, Howard’s film largely embraces, if not panders to, politically correct current attitudes regarding gender roles, racism, and a number of other subjects.

In place of Ford’s iconic but Indian-hating cowboy hero, Howard gives us two white protagonists who are each, in their own ways, the antitheses of the John Wayne character.

One is an Indian-wannabe tracker named Samuel (Tommmy Lee Jones) who left his white family to live with the Indians, and now dresses like an Apache and practices native spirituality. The other is an independent white medicine woman named Maggie (Cate Blanchett) who’s liberated enough to share her bed with a cowboy beau without allowing him to marry her (this despite repeatedly being declared to be a “good Christian” woman), tough enough to ride shotgun with the tracker all the way to the Mexican border in order to recover her kidnapped daughter (Evan Rachel Wood), and white/Christian enough (read: “prejudiced”) to say things like “You never know what diseases these Indians have.”

Along for the ride are the kidnapped girl’s spunky younger sister Dot (Jenna Boyd) and some helpful Native American allies. Against them are the bad guys, consisting of Indian and white Army deserters, one of whom is a nasty brujo or shaman / witch.

Notice that the bad Indians are tainted with European-ness by being cast as Army collaborator-deserters, while the good Indians are free of European entanglements. Notice, too, that the comparatively enlightened white man is all Dances With Wolves, while the comparatively benighted woman is a hypocritical, ignorant Christian — though she’s also a gun-totin’ frontier mama capable of riding and fighting alongside Samuel, not to mention a single woman with a career — and she’s in charge of her love life, too.

Then there’s the movie’s spiritual overtones, which invoke both Christianity and Native American spirituality and voodoo-like magic. As soon as Samuel realizes that there’s a brujo among their enemies, he wants Maggie and Dot to wear protective talismans. Despite his warnings about the paranormal things he’s witnessed such witches accomplish, Maggie refuses, being a good Christian woman, though she does allow Dot to wear one.

As it happens, Maggie’s the one who seems to get hit by the brujo when she leaves behind a hairbrush and he gets ahold of a hank of her hair. As she lies frail and feverish, Samuel desperately musters what little protective mojo he can to try to defend her, at the same time syncretistically urging Dot to read from the Bible. Oddly, the passage Dot chooses is the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 (even though earlier, when reading the Bible for the benefit of a sick woman, she read from a more obviously appropriate source, Psalm 23).

In the end, Maggie recovers, and the movie doesn’t officially declare whether it was Samuel’s Indian mojo, Dot’s reading, or the combination of the two that did the trick — or even whether it was really the brujo ’s magic, and not bad drink, that made Maggie ill in the first place. Still, it’s the brujo who comes off as having really powerful spiritual connections; we have Samuel’s eyewitness accounts of brujo magic, and nothing that says Christians have any power or pull in spiritual matters.

Even on a storytelling level, despite decent writing, solid acting, and fine production values, this is no Open Range . It’s bleak and joyless. The heroes suffer so many setbacks and losses, and their predicament is so grim and hopeless for so long, that the film could only be redeemed by some kind of challenging moral implication (cf.  The Searchers ) or by an especially redemptive, uplifting third act.

But there’s nothing like either of those two things here. The Missing is neither cathartic nor escapist, neither persuasive nor inspiring. It’s just a gritty, exhausting tale of perseverance and survival that takes too long to get to the end without enough of a reason to get there.

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The Missing

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Lee Kang-sheng

Chieh Chang

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The Missing

Time out says, release details.

• Duration: 137 mins

Cast and crew

• Director: Ron Howard
• Screenwriter: Ken Kaufman
• Tommy Lee Jones
• Cate Blanchett
• Eric Schweig
• Rachel Evan Wood
• Steve Reevis
• Ray McKinnon
• Aaron Eckhart
• Simon Baker
• Sergio Calderon
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The missing.

Directed by Ron Howard

How far would you go, how much would you sacrifice to get back what you have lost?

When rancher and single mother of two Maggie Gilkeson sees her teenage daughter, Lily, kidnapped by Apache rebels, she reluctantly accepts the help of her estranged father, Samuel, in tracking down the kidnappers. Along the way, the two must learn to reconcile the past and work together if they are going to have any hope of getting Lily back before she is taken over the border and forced to become a prostitute.

Cate Blanchett Tommy Lee Jones Evan Rachel Wood Jenna Boyd Aaron Eckhart Val Kilmer Eric Schweig Steve Reevis Jay Tavare Simon Baker Ray McKinnon Max Perlich Elisabeth Moss Clint Howard Rance Howard Deborah Martinez Scarlett McAlister Arron Shiver David Midthunder Sergio Calderón Ramon Frank Deryle J. Lujan Rod Rondeaux Angelina Torres

Director Director

Producers producers.

Brian Grazer Ron Howard Daniel Ostroff Louisa Velis Aldric La'Auli Porter Kathleen McGill Thomas Eidson Sue Berger

Writer Writer

Ken Kaufman

Original Writer Original Writer

Thomas Eidson

Casting Casting

Jo Edna Boldin Janet Hirshenson Jane Jenkins

Editors Editors

Daniel P. Hanley Mike Hill

Cinematography Cinematography

Salvatore Totino

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Steve Crystal Todd Hallowell

Stunts Stunts

Julie Adair Walter Scott Ann Scott Jason Rodriguez Robert Harman Robbie Dunn Mary Davenport Samantha Brainard Tony Lee Boggs Rio Alexander Macy Devenport-Sanders

Composer Composer

James Horner

Costume Design Costume Design

Julie Weiss

Columbia Pictures Imagine Entertainment Revolution Studios Daniel Ostroff Productions

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

English Spanish

Releases by Date

26 nov 2003, 12 feb 2004, 27 feb 2004, 12 mar 2004, 17 mar 2004, 30 apr 2004, 13 feb 2004, 19 mar 2004, 06 may 2004, 31 aug 2004, 31 dec 2014, 01 jun 2022, 21 sep 2004, 02 mar 2009, 06 oct 2006, releases by country.

• Theatrical 12 Columbia Tristar mj.gov.br
• Digital 18+
• Theatrical TP
• Physical DVD
• Digital VOD
• Digital Netflix
• Theatrical 12
• Theatrical 15

Netherlands

• TV 16 RTL 7
• Physical 16 DVD

Switzerland

• Theatrical R

135 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by krista

if cate blanchett thinks she can make me sit through a 2hour western for her...... then she’s right

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hearing cate blanchett speak spanish was the best part of the film actually

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Noxiously racist film. Anyway I watched this because Val Kilmer is in it, so all I'm going to do is post a section from his memoir.

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This slow burn western from Ron Howard is well worth your time. It stays in the same veins of classic westerns but able to make it's own way too. Just like most hollywood westerns it concerns with the conflict between Red Indians and early settlers, and the story has some magic in it.

Cate Blanchett plays a rancher and doctor living a quiet peaceful life with her two daughters until one day a group of deserters Apache Indians kidnapped one of her children ( Evan Rachel Wood ). At the same time her father ( Tommy Lee Jones ) who had abandoned the family and started living as an indian a long long time ago shows up and the two reunite and start a…

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Review by karen h. ★★★★ 1

tommy lee jones is a damn force of nature and we treat him like a dang pellet gun

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Eye For Film >> Movies >> The Missing (2003) Film Review

The missing.

Reviewed by: David Haviland

In one of the lighter moments of this period thriller, Tommy Lee Jones's character, a white man who has "gone native", is asked what his given Red Indian name means. Reluctantly, he explains that a rough translation would be Shit For Luck, as the Apache people value family very highly and he is a man with none.

Jones's character, also called Jones, is "the missing" of the title, as the reason he has no family is because he deserted his wife and daughter 20 years before. The film opens with his return, as he tries to rebuild a relationship with his daughter, Maggie (Cate Blanchett), who now has two daughters of her own, Lily (Evan Rachel Wood) and Dot (Jenna Boyd). Maggie refuses to see him, but when Lily is captured by Indians, she needs his help and so they set off to rescue her.

Despite its setting in 19th century New Mexico, The Missing is more of a thriller than a Western, with director Ron Howard skilfully constructing a number of suspenseful, action-filled set-pieces. Native Americans are central to the plot, but the film has no interest in politics, or history, instead uses the setting to dramatise a contemporary story about the duties of parenthood. Maggie bitterly resents Jones for leaving them all those years ago and Lily, in turn, resents Maggie, feeling trapped by her rural upbringing.

The bleak, gritty landscapes reflect the complex morality of the characters. Jones offers no apology for abandoning his family and remarrying and expects no forgiveness. The best that can be hoped for is a new accord, as Maggie explains: "What you're doing, you're doing for your own soul, 'cause what you've done, you can't undo."

This focus on the emotional aspects of the story generates surprisingly powerful scenes. When Maggie sets off to rescue Lily, she plans on leaving young Dot behind, but Dot witnessed the abduction of Lily and the murder of two others and begs her mother, in a heart-wrenching moment, to take her along.

The Missing is an entertaining film, but it feels overlong at 130 minutes and Maggie is so saintly and cold that it's hard to fully engage with her. The other issue is that the blend of genres doesn't work, as the action sequences seem a little over the top in what is essentially a small human drama.

Seeing Dot at yet another gunfight, after she's witnessed numerous brutal murders, as well as the kidnapping of her sister, and has almost drowned, seems a little bathetic.

Director: Ron Howard

Writer: Ken Kaufman, based on The Last Ride by Thomas Eidson

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Evan Rachel Wood, Jenna Boyd, Aaron Eckhart, Val Kilmer

Runtime: 130 minutes

Country: US

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The Missing Columbia Pictures Release Date: November 26, 2003 MPAA rating: 'R' for violence Running Time: 130 minutes From Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, the Oscar-winning director-producer team of A Beautiful Mind comes The Missing, an action-filled suspense thriller and a powerful drama of love, forgiveness and redemption starring Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett. Set in the starkly beautiful but isolated and lawless wilderness of the American Southwest in 1885, The Missing tells the story of Maggie Gilkeson (Blanchett) and her estranged father Jones (Tommy Lee Jones) and how they are reunited by a terrifying crisis. Maggie is a hard-working young woman devoted to raising her two young daughters, the teenage Lilly (Evan Rachel Wood) and the younger Dot (Jenna Boyd). To support herself, Maggie works the land and provides services as a healer. One day, Maggie's father, Jones, who abandoned her when she was a child and spent 20 years with the Apache people, returns to reunite with his family but is rebuffed by his daughter. It is only after Lilly is abducted by Pesh-Chidin (Eric Schweig), a psychopathic killer with mystical powers, that Maggie turns to her father for help in getting her daughter back. The killer and his renegade crew of desperados are terrorizing the desolate territory, kidnapping teenage girls to sell into slavery in Mexico and leaving a trail of death and horror behind them. In a tense race against time, Maggie and Jones struggle to overcome their differences and establish a bond of trust as they try to reach the abductors before they cross the Mexican border and Lilly is lost to them forever.

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The Missing (2003)

Directed by ron howard.

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Description by Wikipedia

The Missing is a 2003 American Revisionist Western thriller film directed by Ron Howard, based on Thomas Eidson's 1996 novel The Last Ride. The film is set in 1885 New Mexico Territory and is notable for the authentic use of the Apache language by various actors, some of whom spent long hours studying it. The film was produced by Revolution Studios, Imagine Entertainment, and Daniel Ostroff Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Official Site

Related movies.

Alternate Titles

"We waste our money so you don't have to."

"We waste our money, so you don't have to."

Movie Review

The missing.

US Release Date: 11-26-2003

Directed by: Ron Howard

Starring ▸ ▾

• Tommy Lee Jones ,  as
• Samuel Jones
• Cate Blanchett ,  as
• Maggie Gilkeson
• Evan Rachel Wood ,  as
• Jenna Boyd ,  as
• Dot Gilkeson
• Simon Baker ,  as
• Aaron Eckhart ,  as
• Brake Baldwin
• Clint Howard ,  as
• Sheriff Purdy
• Val Kilmer as

Cate Blanchett in The Missing .

With Chicago reviving the musical genre, perhaps it is time for Westerns, another genre long considered dead, to also make a comeback. For even though The Missing certainly isn't Best Picture of the year material as Chicago was, it is entertaining enough to prove that there is life left in the old horse opera yet.

Cate Blanchett (doing another superb accent) plays Maggie, a rancher and part time healer living in New Mexico in 1885. When renegade Apaches kidnap her oldest daughter, and the local Sheriff and the Army prove to be of no help, Maggie must team up with her estranged father (Tommy Lee Jones), to track down her daughter's captors and prevent them from crossing the border into Mexico. Fans of classic Westerns may notice a faint resemblance to John Ford's The Searchers , but the similarities are only cursory. To be more precise, if you combined The Searchers with Big Jake (another John Wayne starring film), you'd be somewhere close to this movie.

Despite Blanchett's strong performance, it is Tommy Lee Jones who steals the movie. While he's no Wayne, he seems perfectly suited for a Western with his sun burned, time weathered face. His crusty frontiersman turned Indian provides the heart and soul of this movie. And speaking of strong performances, little Jenna Boyd, playing Maggie's younger daughter, is strong enough to hold her own with the two veteran adult actors.

Most of the action takes place on the trail of the renegade Indians. Their leader is an Indian shaman whose mystical abilities include the power to blind men with a magical powder and the ability to affect his pursuers from a distance so long as he holds a personal possession of theirs.

The movie is also beautifully filmed, taking full advantage of the natural scenery of desert, mountains, and forests of the western countryside. Although, if this movie has a weakness, it is its habit of lingering just a touch too long on the spectacularly scenic vistas. For a movie that's over two hours, a few of these moments could easily have been trimmed.

Whether or not this movie starts a Western trend, which I find doubtful, it is a nice and highly entertaining throwback to a long neglected genre.

Tommy Lee Jones in The Missing .

Blanchett and Boyd indeed do a great job. Except Clint Eastwood, Jones has the best-weathered face for westerns. However, all of this great casting can't raise this movie above mediocrity.

Scott pointed out that the plot comes from two Wayne movies. It's too bad Wayne was not in this movie. Although it has great acting, none of the actors come close to Wayne's charm. All of the people in this movie are boring. There is never that "Wow!" moment when Blanchett gets pissed off enough to go "Ripley" on these Indians. Jones is down right dull. He plays the absent father, but never do we learn why. He is a man of few words.

Blanchett and Jones argue, but never talk details. So, what is the point? You never fully understand what the dynamics of their relationship are. He abandoned her and she had a rough life. So she becomes a bigoted healer? I'll take Wayne's arguments with Maureen O'Hara over this melodrama any day.

The movie starts well enough. A single mom of two has a boyfriend and a long lost father. Boyfriend comes up dead and daughter missing. The scene where Blanchett discovers this is very creepy. The movie looses most of the tension shortly there after. The plot becomes painfully predictable as the daughter is forced to get her father's help. The rest of the movie unfolds with out any surprises. Like Scott, I think the editor should have worked overtime. Why do we need to see Jones drawing? The entire curse scene did nothing for the plot, except slow it down.

This movie has more blood and personal issues than any John Wayne western. It's too bad they didn't have Wayne, or at the least a livelier script with some originality.

Photos © Copyright Revolution Studios (2003)

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The missing.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 3 Reviews
• Kids Say 2 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Nell Minow , based on child development research. How do we rate?

A disappointment; relentlessly bleak and brutal.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this is an extremely violent movie, with frequent and exceptionally graphic brutal images and many injuries and deaths, including death of a child. A character commits suicide. There are sexual references and non-explicit sexual situations. The plot revolves around a plan to sell the girls…

Why Age 18+?

Sexual references, nude dead body.

Extreme and very graphic peril and violence, characters killed, suicide. Intense

Characters drink and smoke.

Some strong language.

Any Positive Content?

Sex, romance & nudity.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Extreme and very graphic peril and violence, characters killed, suicide. Intense peril.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents need to know that this is an extremely violent movie, with frequent and exceptionally graphic brutal images and many injuries and deaths, including death of a child. A character commits suicide. There are sexual references and non-explicit sexual situations. The plot revolves around a plan to sell the girls into prostitution. Characters drink alcohol and use some strong language. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (3)
• Kids say (2)

Based on 3 parent reviews

Far better than review suggests & really no nudity or sex

The missing - long and rugged but engrossing, what's the story.

THE MISSING centers on Maggie (Cate Blanchett), an indomitable frontier woman who can yank an infected tooth, chop the firewood, handle a pouting teenager, and still find time for a romantic interlude with a handsome cowboy. She is known as a healer, and never turns anyone away, even her estranged father (Tommy Lee Jones), who deserted her family when she was a child and has been living with the Indians. She will treat him, but she will not forgive him. But then, when an Indian shaman and his henchmen (some Indian, some white) murder Maggie's lover and kidnap her daughter to sell her into prostitution, Maggie has to ask her father to help her track them so she can bring her daughter home.

Is It Any Good?

The Missing is a disappointment, relentlessly politically correct and even more relentlessly bleak and brutal. In some ways, it's is a very traditional set-up, with the quintessential movie plot -- two people who do not get along forced to take a physical and psychological journey together in pursuit of a goal. Director Ron Howard sustains the bleak and ominous atmosphere with images like a riderless horse returning home and a wolf on the dining room table. And the story has some resonance, with themes that circle back. One parent left a child and another cannot leave a child, among other themes. Another parent who loses a child cannot continue.

The Missing has strengths, including the willingness to attempt some thematic complexity, reliably solid performances by Blanchett and Jones and the outstanding Jenna Boyd. But it does not address its themes with enough depth to justify its darkness, and thus does not succeed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the dualities this movie emphasizes.

Discuss how the Native Americans and the settlers interact. What does this say about our shared cultural past?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 25, 2003
• On DVD or streaming : February 23, 2004
• Cast : Aaron Eckhart , Cate Blanchett , Tommy Lee Jones
• Director : Ron Howard
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Columbia Tristar
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 100 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : violence
• Last updated : May 1, 2022

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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What "It Ends With Us" Gets Wrong About Domestic Violence

Does the movie oversimplify the complex experience of intimate partner violence?

Verywell Mind / Getty Images

The Movie Made Some Appropriate Changes

The missing piece: the build up.

• Family Backgrounds Aren't Always So Simple

Support Systems Can Be Hard to Find

• Leaving Isn't That Easy

And Do We Really Need to Sympathize With Abusers?

Mind in the Media  is an ongoing series discussing mental health and psychological topics in popular movies and television.

There's no question that the idea of stopping domestic violence in its tracks is a great one. And that's what Colleen Hoover's book, " It Ends With Us ," now a movie, suggests. However, anyone who has been through DV might be shocked at this presentation of its oversimplification. The movie is beige in many ways, from its flat depiction of a DV relationship to its pronounced lack of characters of color (I noted one Black person with a very brief speaking role in the entire film).

"It Ends With Us" is the story of a flower fanatic named Lily Blossom Bloom (yes, I cringed too) whose abusive father has recently died. Her mom never left her dad, and Lily grapples with this decision as well as her complex feelings for her deceased father. She soon meets a man named Ryle, who is introduced violently: We first encounter him on a rooftop, throwing a chair out of anger. This is their sordid story, with love triangle elements involving Lily's first love.

Before getting into the varied areas where this story falls short of reality, let's look at the changes in the transition from book to movie that were on the right side of history.

In the book, Ellen DeGeneres is a fantasy figurehead for Lily. This is minimized in the movie. The book was written before revelations of DeGeneres being an abuser herself came to light. "There were not any negative allegations about Ellen at the time when the book was written," explains Teri Schroeder, LCSW , who provides counseling for trauma and PTSD. "Dating this to the time period of the book, it would have had Lily watching Ellen in the 2000s," she adds.

In fact, the adaptation just kept the best of DeGeneres' work. "In the movie, Hoover’s positive message—'Just Keep Swimming'—is subtly included through background images and a Nemo plush," notes Afton Turner, LPCA , a counselor specializing in trauma recovery and family dynamics.

The adaptation also changed the book's ending into a less harmful one. In the book, abusive ex-husband Ryle co-parents with Lily. Turner says that the book "highlights red flags in Ryle’s parenting, including his belief that his children would never meet his high standards," which makes it quite concerning that Lily has no qualms about sharing custody. "Unless Ryle works on healing and learning healthy relationship dynamics , he might continue to expose his child to harmful behaviors," Turner adds. In the movie, Lily raises her daughter alone, which is a much better way of handling the issue.

As a DV survivor myself, there were a lot of things about this movie that felt severely lacking in terms of what it's actually like to live through the nightmare of having an abusive partner . What struck me most of all was how in between the abuse episodes, which were unrealistically focused only on one single trigger of Ryle's, Lily seemed to feel completely safe and comfortable.

“One of my concerns with the story is that, due to its condensed nature, it doesn't fully capture the abuse cycle —the honeymoon, build-up, and blow-up,” says Turner. She adds that “these phases are crucial to understanding the manipulation and confusion in domestic violence. We see the honeymoon and blow-ups, but the build-up, which can be the longest phase, is missing."

These phases are crucial to understanding the manipulation and confusion in domestic violence. We see the honeymoon and blow-ups, but the build-up, which can be the longest phase, is missing.

Why is this important? “During this phase, the abuser may become increasingly irritable, critical, or demanding, creating an environment where the victim feels like they are walking on eggshells and in a constant state of hypervigilance in an attempt to prevent the blow-up," she explains.

Instead, everything seems perfectly fine whenever Ryle is not actively abusing Lily. This provides a false sense of what the day-to-day experience of DV is actually like. Schroeder, though, says that Lily may not have even realized initially that she was being abused. "Despite her resolve not to repeat past mistakes, she may have missed or overlooked early red flags because they felt familiar," she tells us. "The movie effectively demonstrates how patterns of trauma can repeat themselves, especially when someone grows up in a particular environment and later finds themselves in a similar situation," she adds.

Family Backgrounds Aren't Always So Simple

In this story, Lily's dad abuses her mom. That standard, heteronormative view of abuse is, outside of tired, not always the case. In reality, more mothers abuse their children than fathers do, with 54% of abusive parents being mothers, 86% of whom were biological. Of the other 46%, only 51% were biological fathers to the children they abused.

Family abuse can be either a parent, a sibling, any extended family member who lives with you, a parent's significant other, and more.

In this tale, Lily is incredibly lucky to have both a best friend who encourages her to leave Ryle, even though she is Ryle's sister and an ex-boyfriend who supports her through it. While a lovely notion, it isn't a terribly realistic one. "In reality, people in relationships like Lily’s with Ryle often become isolated from their support systems, either because the abusive partner actively isolates them or because they feel too ashamed to talk about it," says Schroeder. "In real life, getting that level of support can be much more complicated."

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential assistance from trained advocates.

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database .

She notes that "family and friends of the abuser might deny that any harm is being done or fail to recognize the abuse altogether. Friends and family of the person going through it might end up passing judgment and eventually distancing themselves."

Instead, Lily finds only complete support and encouragement from her peers. "The fact that Lily had several people in her life who offered unconditional support without judgment is crucial, as not everyone has that, and it can be incredibly important," notes Schroeder.

Family and friends of the abuser might deny that any harm is being done or fail to recognize the abuse altogether.

That brings us to the next way that DV is portrayed inaccurately. Good luck trying to leave as successfully and immediately as Lily did.

Leaving Isn't That Easy

We are led to believe that somehow, Lily didn't realize she was being abused through every violent episode until the "last" one. This felt insulting as a reader/watcher, given how it's made clear from the start that Ryle is prone to violence. It was even less believable that once Lily decided to leave, she was gone without any backlash from Ryle.

That just isn't how it usually works. "One thing that doesn’t always reflect reality is how Lily made a clear decision to leave Ryle, and he respected that decision," says Schroeder. "In reality, this process is often much more challenging, involving multiple breakups, second-guessing, and attempts to leave that don’t go smoothly. It’s common for the situation to be messier, with the abusive partner not respecting boundaries or to make it very difficult for that person to leave," she explains.

Not only is it harder to leave a partner, especially as a parent, than is presented in this story, it's far more dangerous. "Women with younger children experienced elevated risks of physical violence shortly before divorce and remained at higher risk of menace than women without children for a year after divorce," says one study.

Lastly, Ryle is meant to be a character with whom we at least minimally sympathize. He has a tragic backstory and he's vaguely charming. He also gets a ton of air time, due to being played by none other than the film's own director. I'm just not sold on the idea that a sympathetic abuser is something the world needs more of, in a society where " me too " all too often means a moment of cancelation before an abuser can safely return to their limelight.

"In Ryle's case, his family recognized his trauma but didn't encourage him to seek the therapy he needed to heal," explains Turner. "Instead, they reinforced the belief that his trauma defined him and made him violent. While trauma can be a reason for abusive behavior, it is never an excuse," she adds.

Do we really need to be yet more sensitive to the woes of a successful White man who abuses women? I don't think so, which, in addition to the reasons above, made this movie a miss for me.

ASPE. Male perpetrators of child maltreatment: findings from ncands .

Einiö E, Metsä‐Simola N, Aaltonen M, Hiltunen E, Martikainen P. Partner violence surrounding divorce: A record‐linkage study of wives and their husbands.   J Marriage Fam . 2023;85(1):33-54.

By Ariane Resnick, CNC Ariane Resnick, CNC is a mental health writer, certified nutritionist, and wellness author who advocates for accessibility and inclusivity.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors, hollywood black.

The tricky part with a docuseries like “Hollywood Black,” particularly if you have a deep reservoir of knowledge about its chosen subject, is realizing that it’ll probably never be as comprehensive as you’d like. After all, the four-part series directed by Justin Simien (“ Dear White People ”), adapted from the same-titled book by film historian Donald Bogle, is slated to premiere on MGM+—which isn’t really a historically minded network or streamer like TCM or Criterion Channel. Recalibrating one’s expectation, in that regard, is crucial.

And yet, a documentary series can’t be judged on intention alone. Simien assembles an impressive roster of talking heads (academics, stars, directors, and producers) to talk about the history of Hollywood from a Black perspective. His thesis is sound—Black people are imperative to Hollywood’s existence—and the joy he injects into the subject is pure. But it never feels like there’s quite enough substance to match his enthusiasm.    

The abbreviated length of “Hollywood Black” often betrays its noble desires. Take, for instance, the first hour, which attempts to cram over sixty years of Black cinematic history into less than an hour. As such, the chronology of early Black filmmaking is simplified into a neater timeline. A pioneer like Nina Mae McKinney isn’t mentioned, while Josephine Baker only receives a passing nod (the docuseries instead turns its focus to Fredi Washington, an equally imperative figure). At one point, Issa Rae claims that no other Black director was producing and directing films except Oscar Micheaux. The broad statement ignores creators like Richard D. Maurice and brothers Noble and George Johnson .

There is an early tension to the first episode. While scholars like Racquel Gates, Jacqueline Stewart, and Bogle are providing in-depth context, the celebrity talking heads, who, armed with some basic historical grounding, reduce the past to broad, generic observations That tension is emblematic of Simien trying to balance the research component of the docuseries and the approachability, with the latter party decided by spotlighting the celebrity participants. 

While the docuseries includes plenty of Black women directors as talking heads: Ava DuVernay , Gina Prince-Bythewood , Cheryl Dunye, Melina Matsoukas , Lena Waithe , and more—the actual screen time directed at films by Black women is hardly sufficient. How does one make a documentary about Black filmmakers and not include Kathleen Collins? Outside of “The Watermelon Woman” and “ Daughters of the Dust ,” when the series talks about Black women directors, it’s those who mostly operate in Hollywood. While that decision is understandable, to a point, after all, the series is called “Hollywood Black,” it does erase core pieces of Black cinematic history. Barely any contemporary Black women directors are included—the same with creatives like Ayoka Chenzira, Cauleen Smith, Zeinabu irene Davis, and more. 

Once again, Simien only had so much time, and aiming for comprehensiveness is almost a fool’s errand. And yet, what is cut to conserve time is nevertheless telling. Ultimately, “Hollywood Black” is a history lesson told from a male perspective with only a few diversions to Black women’s contributions.  

There is enough missing from “Hollywood Black” that it very nearly blinds one to the wealth of history that is present. Very few mainstream documentaries, for instance, have tried to provide context to Blackface and the practice of minstrelsy. The genius of Bert Williams is noticed. The little-known, unreleased silent feature “Lime Kiln Field Day” (1913), starring Williams, is placed in its proper context as the oldest surviving Black-cast feature (it’s presently streaming on Criterion Channel ). Charles Lane , the director of “ Sidewalk Stories ,” is also spotlighted. And while it’s heartening to see Bill Greaves’ boundary-pushing mockumentary “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One” talked about, the conversation between Simien and DuVernay, where the former gives their own odd interpretation of Greaves’ film can be painful to watch, if only because the critique provided doesn’t appear well-considered.  

That doesn’t mean Simien’s first-person perspective isn’t worthwhile. The series is especially strong when he talks about the impact “ The Wiz ” had on him. As Simien stares up at the footage of the still-underrated Blaxploitation musical, there is a palpable joy to the proceedings. It’s clear Simien wants the series to be a celebration of Black creativity—hence cutting Bill Cosby ’s presence in Black Hollywood’s history by uplifting the importance of Richard Pryor and also remaining deferential to Tyler Perry ’s achievements—and his side steps keep him out of relative trouble, so to speak. 

Still, I wish there was more in this film about the how versus what of cinema. When Ernest Dickerson talks about how the lighting of Black skin has changed over the years, it’s incisive and stimulating. But Simien, unfortunately, doesn’t dig that deep into the craft. Rather, he sticks to the broad beats of what these steps forward to progress mean. It’s worth noting that the craft in Simien’s own series slips. Simien critiques how Hollywood co-opted Blaxploitation only to cut to Rudy Ray Moore (an independent filmmaker). At another point, he makes a broad point about films during the late-70s but cuts to “Black Belt Jones” (released in 1974). These mistakes are compounded by the fact that in charting the rise of Blaxploitation, he skips over Ossie Davis ’ “Cotton Comes to Harlem,” the film that kicked it all off. 

Many of these grievances come with the knowledge that many people watching “Hollywood Black” will not be looking for deep-cut references or notice the many confusing nips and tucks used to tailor the history. This is a series meant to serve as an entry point. You just hope it primes enough people’s curiosity to look for more. In that regard, “Hollywood Black” might be moderately successful.    

Whole season screened for review.

Robert Daniels

Robert Daniels is an Associate Editor at RogerEbert.com. Based in Chicago, he is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) and Critics Choice Association (CCA) and regularly contributes to the  New York Times ,  IndieWire , and  Screen Daily . He has covered film festivals ranging from Cannes to Sundance to Toronto. He has also written for the Criterion Collection, the  Los Angeles Times , and  Rolling Stone  about Black American pop culture and issues of representation.

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'Thangalaan': Stunning visuals and social commentary, yet missing the emotional core | Movie Review

Pa Ranjith’s Thangalaan, starring Chiyaan Vikram, was one of the most anticipated films of the year, and it’s clear that the buzz was well-deserved. Now that the film has finally arrived in theatres, it can be said with confidence that it lives up to the hype. Thangalaan is a breathtaking visual spectacle, elevated by powerful performances from its cast.

The film is set against the backdrop of a British-led expedition to unearth the gold mines of Kolar. Coloniser Clement strikes a deal with the tribe, led by Thangalaan (Vikram), offering them a share of the gold in exchange for their participation in the excavation.

Thangalaan is not just a mythical action drama; it’s a powerful narrative that tackles a significant social issue—the relentless struggle for power and the oppression of society’s marginalised. The film vividly portrays how the oppressed rise against their oppressors. Thangalaan, the central character, is a figure of immense physical strength and unyielding ambition. His deep-rooted desire to uplift his tribe drives him to make difficult choices, even if it means aligning with the very forces that seek to dominate them, all in pursuit of a better future for his people.

It is great how when a movie talks about something so serious, director Pa Ranjith weaves a mythical narrative into it making the movie more tantalising. Vikram is the undeniable heart and soul of Thangalaan, delivering a performance that is nothing short of extraordinary. As Thangalaan, he commands the screen with a potent mix of intensity and depth, fully embodying a character who is as conflicted within as he is challenged by the external dangers of his quest. Vikram doesn’t just play the role—he lives it, capturing the internal battle of a man torn between his ambitions and the harsh realities he faces. Parvathy, as Gangamma, Thangalaan’s wife, delivers a performance that is both impactful and memorable. Gangamma is far from a mere follower of her husband; she stands as a strong, independent character with her own perspective and influence within the story. Malavika Mohanan plays the role of Aarathi, and she too is fierce and powerful. Her initial few scenes as Aarathi is truly mindblowing.

Malavika Mohanan delivers a fierce and powerful performance as Aarathi, with her initial scenes being particularly striking. Cinematography by A. Kishor Kumar enhances the film, showcasing some truly remarkable visuals. While many scenes, especially those featuring lush greenery and aerial shots, are visually impressive, the sequences set in the mines could have been executed with greater finesse.

Certain parts of the movie, with their mythical elements, evoke a sense of horror, which adds a layer of fun. What’s truly impressive about the film is that it reveals much more beneath the surface. It unfolds like an onion, gradually peeling back layers to reveal deeper complexities.

The film consistently addresses caste politics, exploring the dynamics between the oppressor and the oppressed. Thangalaan's tribe is viewed with contempt by British officers, who exploit their naivety. Throughout the movie, Ranjith delivers a powerful critique of Brahminism and the Varna system. However, he maintains the tribe's dignity by not overtly favouring one side in his portrayal. The movie also explores a parallel theme of the corrupting power of greed. The relentless pursuit of gold, which drives everyone involved, including the tribe, clouds their judgment and distorts their rationality.

Ranjith addresses the issues of Brahminism and Buddhism with a balanced portrayal, presenting perspectives from both sides. Women in the film are depicted as individuals with distinct identities, rather than mere background figures. While the background score is effective, the music could have been more impactful. Given the story's intensity, stronger rhythms and beats might have been more fitting, but music director G. V. Prakash Kumar chose a folk style that, while enjoyable, lacks the power needed for the story. 

However, the film falters when it comes to establishing an emotional connection with the characters. It lacks the depth needed for the audience to fully invest in the main characters' journeys. In one particular scene, which impacts Thangalaan and his family, the intended emotional weight falls flat. The effort to create a politically correct narrative seems to have come at the expense of a strong story-driven connection.

Thangalaan stands out as one of Vikram's finest performances, offering him ample scope for acting and showcasing his skills. The first half of the film is deeply engaging, with several edge-of-your-seat moments. While the second half remains thrilling, it occasionally slows down. The climax is particularly powerful, delivering a compelling statement. Thangalaan is definitely a must-see in theatres, with its enchanting story and exceptional performances making it a spectacle that film enthusiasts shouldn't miss.

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After Santa Claus (code name: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with the world's most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-tro... Read all After Santa Claus (code name: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with the world's most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas. After Santa Claus (code name: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with the world's most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.

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• How long will Red One be? Powered by Alexa
• November 15, 2024 (United States)
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