Men, Women & Children
2014 · Directed by Jason Reitman
Original language: English
- drama
- comedy
The story
Follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives.
What it’s like
Cool, slightly sterile suburban light fills this ensemble drama, with restless camera moves that drift between rooms and screens as if the film itself is scrolling. Glowing phone and laptop displays cast blue-white faces against dim kitchens and bedrooms, while warmer, dusty daytime interiors and a few handheld moments give the anxiety a human pulse. The score leans on hushed, melancholy piano and pop-tinged underscoring rather than big swells, and the rhythm is brisk, cutting quickly between several households so the mood stays edgy and a little disorienting. The register runs from wry comedy to uneasy, sometimes uncomfortable drama: parents hovering too closely, teens chasing validation and wrestling with body image, marriages fraying in quiet ways. Its arcs follow adults and teenagers slowly confronting how much of their lives now passes through a screen. Intensity is moderate: sexual content and explicit talk about online sex appear and some scenes are frank and uncomfortable, including a self-harm thread and a stalking-adjacent storyline, but violence is limited and there is no gore. It suits thoughtful viewers who like ensemble drama with a sharp, skeptical edge and a bit of bite.
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