User reviews

Sorry Hungary but nothing new just the same stuff we've seen too many times in a different order. Some disturbing scenes somewhat chilling just not enough.

The film had the look and feel of a low budget BBC drama series. You know, when the acting is weak the scenes are weak and the dialogue is a bit too bland that this gets in the way of us effectively caring for the main characters.

Adults take the law into their own hands. There's a lack of I don't know what maybe it wasn't very testy except a few cringe scenes and some chilling music. Kind of boring.

Although I enjoy overseas films and don't mind subtitles, both can bring their own challenges. Unfamiliar with Hungarian / Eastern European actors, it took me too long to recognise there were two timelines here - my fault, not the film's, but a point to note for other non-Hungarians.

I suspect I would have preferred subtitles to this English-language version. The accents were an unnecessary distraction.

On the positive side, the characters are largely recognisable, including their flaws. A mother confronted with horrific claims from her child is afraid to go to the authorities. Grooming techniques, heightened vulnerability of some children, the intergenerational cycle of abuse, are all explored but subtly - the film is not a lecture, but an attempt to understand how people act and react.

Some editing is clunky, which doesn't help when cutting between scenes in the dark, but the plots are nicely woven together. There is an engaging mix of brutality and humanity that carries the audience along with it.

Not an easy watch, but a satisfying one.