We Need to Talk about Kevin

Lionel Shriver's 2003 novel took the form of a series of letters from the mother of a teenage boy to her husband, trying to fathom how their son became a sociopathic killer. This beautifully crafted but disturbing film takes a more traditional approach, flashing backwards and forwards through the story of Eva (Tilda Swinton), a former travel writer whose love/hate relationship with her child has made her life a living hell. Swinton is excellent as the worn-down Eva, and newcomer Ezra Miller makes an indelible impression as the loathsome, conniving Kevin. However, the director is the real star here, as Glasgow-born Lynne Ramsay, with only her third feature, has fashioned a dazzling, sensory drama with a suffocating, dream-like atmosphere. The back and forth narrative makes a few plot points hard to follow, but overall this is an artful portrayal of every mother's worst nightmare.