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IMDbPro

We Need to Talk About Kevin

  • 20112011
  • RR
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
153K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
512
143
Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
The mother of a teenage boy who went on a high-school killing spree tries to deal with her grief -- and feelings of responsibility for her child's actions -- by writing to her estranged husband.
Play trailer1:48
5 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Mystery
  • Thriller
Kevin's mother struggles to love her strange child, despite the increasingly dangerous things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin is just getting started, and his final act will be be... Read allKevin's mother struggles to love her strange child, despite the increasingly dangerous things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.Kevin's mother struggles to love her strange child, despite the increasingly dangerous things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
153K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
512
143
  • Director
    • Lynne Ramsay
  • Writers
    • Lynne Ramsay(screenplay)
    • Rory Stewart Kinnear(screenplay)
    • Lionel Shriver(novel)
  • Stars
    • Tilda Swinton
    • John C. Reilly
    • Ezra Miller
Top credits
  • Director
    • Lynne Ramsay
  • Writers
    • Lynne Ramsay(screenplay)
    • Rory Stewart Kinnear(screenplay)
    • Lionel Shriver(novel)
  • Stars
    • Tilda Swinton
    • John C. Reilly
    • Ezra Miller
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 480User reviews
    • 409Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 BAFTA Awards
      • 26 wins & 66 nominations total

    Videos5

    U.S. Version
    Trailer 1:48
    U.S. Version
    United Kingdom
    Trailer 1:40
    United Kingdom
    Indie Spirit Stars Suggest Indie Gems You Must Watch Right Now
    Clip 2:49
    Indie Spirit Stars Suggest Indie Gems You Must Watch Right Now
    "I Am the Context"
    Clip 1:22
    "I Am the Context"
    "An Acquired Taste"
    Clip 1:49
    "An Acquired Taste"

    Photos186

    Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
    John C. Reilly and Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
    Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
    Tilda Swinton and Jasper Newell in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
    Ezra Miller in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
    Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
    Lynne Ramsay and Jasper Newell in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
    Ezra Miller in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
    Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
    Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
    Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
    Ezra Miller in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tilda Swinton
    Tilda Swinton
    • Eva Khatchadourianas Eva Khatchadourian
    John C. Reilly
    John C. Reilly
    • Franklinas Franklin
    Ezra Miller
    Ezra Miller
    • Kevin, Teenageras Kevin, Teenager
    Jasper Newell
    Jasper Newell
    • Kevin, 6-8 Yearsas Kevin, 6-8 Years
    Rocky Duer
    Rocky Duer
    • Kevin, Toddleras Kevin, Toddler
    Ashley Gerasimovich
    Ashley Gerasimovich
    • Celiaas Celia
    Siobhan Fallon Hogan
    Siobhan Fallon Hogan
    • Wandaas Wanda
    Alex Manette
    Alex Manette
    • Colinas Colin
    Kenneth Franklin
    • Sowetoas Soweto
    Leslie Lyles
    • Smash Ladyas Smash Lady
    Paul Diomede
    • Corrections Officer, Alas Corrections Officer, Al
    Michael Campbell
    • Corrections Officeras Corrections Officer
    J. Mallory McCree
    J. Mallory McCree
    • Prison Boyas Prison Boy
    • (as J. Mal McCree)
    Mark Elliot Wilson
    • Eva's Lawyeras Eva's Lawyer
    James Chen
    James Chen
    • Dr. Foulkesas Dr. Foulkes
    Lauren Fox
    Lauren Fox
    • Dr. Goldblattas Dr. Goldblatt
    Blake DeLong
    Blake DeLong
    • Young Suited Man #1as Young Suited Man #1
    Andy Gershenzon
    Andy Gershenzon
    • Young Suited Man #2as Young Suited Man #2
    • Director
      • Lynne Ramsay
    • Writers
      • Lynne Ramsay(screenplay)
      • Rory Stewart Kinnear(screenplay)
      • Lionel Shriver(novel)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Tilda Swinton became involved as a producer long before she decided to star in the movie.
    • Goofs
      Twice in flashbacks to Kevin's parents in their dating days, a UPS terminal with trucks can be seen in the near background. Those trucks have the new UPS logo, where if the time-frame is correct, the trucks would have had the old logo of a stringed parcel above the UPS Shield.
    • Quotes

      Eva: You don't look happy.

      Kevin: Have I ever?

    • Crazy credits
      There are no opening credits.
    • Connections
      Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 16 May 2011 (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Mule Skinner Blues
      Written by Jimmie Rodgers & Vaughn Horton (as George Vaughn)

      Performed by Lonnie Donegan

      (c) 1931 Peermusic International Corp. (USA)

      Courtesy of Sanctuary Records Group LTD

      Under license from Universal Music Operations LTD

    User reviews480

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    'Wherein does evil lie?'
    In an interview with Lionel Shriver' about her highly successful 2005 novel she commented on the difficulty of the project: 'It was admittedly draining. And throughout, I was anxious that because I had never had a child myself, I didn't know what I was talking about and readers who were parents would catch me out.' As adapted for the screen by director Lynne Ramsay and Rory Kinnear this story becomes a terrifyingly realistic exploration of the subject of inherent evil and the manner in which we deal with it. The film is particularly timely as we read almost daily of youngsters killing classmates in schools across the country. But first the story:

    Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton) is trying to piece together her life following the "incident". Once a successful travel writer, she is forced to take whatever job comes her way, which of late is as a clerk in a travel agency. She lives a solitary life as people who know about her situation openly shun her, even to the point of violent actions toward her. She, in turn, fosters that solitary life because of the incident, the aftermath of which has turned her into a meek and scared woman. That incident involved her son Kevin Khatchadourian (Ezra Miller as a teenager and Jasper Newell as a 6 year old and Rock Duer as a toddler), who is now approaching his eighteenth birthday. Eva and Kevin have always had a troubled relationship, even when he was an infant. Whatever troubles he saw, Franklin (John C. Reilly), Eva's complacent husband, just attributed it to Kevin being a typical boy. The incident may be seen by both Kevin and Eva as his ultimate act in defiance against his mother.

    Ramsay tells her story in bits and pieces of a collage of moments from the birth of Kevin to his incarceration. For some this kind of non-linear story telling may be disconcerting, but for this viewer it seems like a close examination of the mind of a mother who simply cannot believe she has birthed and is raising a child who is the epitome of evil. The fact that we are aware of something hideous that has happened from the beginning does not get in the way of watching the slow maturation of Kevin - first as a constantly screaming infant to a maliciously bad little boy to a viciously cruel and evil teenager with whom his mother cannot connect except for one very telling instance when she reads the young Kevin 'Robin Hood' and his arrows, at which point Kevin shows a degree of affection for Eva. That moment proves in retrospect to be the nidus for the horror that lies ahead. Yet to say more about the story wound diminish the impact one the viewer. Tilda Swinton is extraordinary in her role as is Ezra Miller. The film. At least, for this viewer, is a powerfully disturbing one and a very fine insight into how evil deeds can happen.

    Grady Harp
    helpful•57
    18
    • gradyharp
    • Jun 2, 2012

    FAQ3

    • What is the first song as Eva drives?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 21, 2011 (United Kingdom)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Cậu Bé Kevin
    • Filming locations
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • BBC Films
      • UK Film Council
      • Footprint Investment Fund
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $7,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,738,692
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $24,587
      • Dec 11, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $9,232,318
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 52 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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