We Need to Talk About Kevin

• Genre: Drama
• Director: Lynne Ramsay
• Stars: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller
• Rate: ***

Kevin (Miller) has had severe emotional problems all his life. He’s cruel, manipulative, rebellious, apparently consumed with hatred targeted at his sister and mother Eva (Swinton). But her husband (Reilly) loves the boy and can’t accept her reports of him forcing a pet hamster down the sink food crusher, or injuring his baby sister or masturbating in front of her. Eva is completely isolated and ruled by Kevin. One day, she’s proven right when he commits an unthinkable crime. A new kind of suffering begins as the vigilantes and hatemongers show up. Ramsay’s raw family portrait focuses on the natural born bully, his power and asks how he came to be. Swinton is transcendent, as always, and her fragile/strong duality is put to good use, but Miller is amazing.