Sean of The Daily Rotation wrote, "Based on the novel of the same name, We Need to Talk About Kevin is a strange sort of thriller in that nothing especially thrilling ever happens. There is an ever-looming sense of dread over the entire film, and its fractured narrative does nothing to dispel the notion that something absolutely terrible is going to happen. Anyone that follows film most likely heard about Kevin‘s debut at the Cannes Film Festival where it won high praise and a distribution deal through Oscilloscope Laboratories, the distribution company run by Adam Yauch, more commonly known as MCA of the Beastie Boys."
While films allow us to experience fear or sorrow from the safety of our homes, these movies are so disturbing you can only watch them once.
If you’ve ever worried that you’re too self-absorbed to make a good parent, then We Need to Talk About Kevin is the ultimate affirmation of your fears. This drama thriller is a mighty fine form of birth control, but it’s also a mighty fine film as a whole… if you’re someone who can stomach cinema that’s domestic-focused and realistic; consistently dark and ominous.
This is one of those movies that you hate to watch but maybe you should watch. I think maybe someday or maybe you already have come across someone in your life with problems similar to the ones they have with their son. It is a horrible thought but it does happen.
Hopefully these days people recognize the problem and start to get help early instead of turning their eyes and ignoring the situation.
SunTimes: It must be something like this to have a nervous breakdown. We find ourselves inside the mind of a woman whose psychopathic son has driven her over the edge. This is not entirely his fault. We gather she didn't want to get pregnant, isn't sure why she's married, is a mother who tries to mask hostility with superficial kindness. If she had her way, she would put her life on rewind and start all over again — maybe even as somebody else, since she's not very fond of herself.
