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"Divergent" is all about identity—about searching your soul and determining who you are and how you fit in as you emerge from adolescence to adulthood. So it's all too appropriate that the film version of the wildly popular young adult novel struggles a bit to assert itself as it seeks to appeal to the widest possible audience.

It's the conundrum so many of these types of books face as they become pop-culture juggernauts and film franchises: which elements to keep to please the fervent fans and which to toss in the name of maintaining a lean, speedy narrative? The "Harry Potter" and "Hunger Games" movies—which "Divergent" resembles in myriad ways—were mostly successful in finding that balance.

In bringing the first novel of Veronica Roth's best-selling trilogy to the screen, director Neil Burger (" Limitless ") and screenwriters Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor have included key moments and images but tweaked others to streamline the mythology and move the story along. The results can be thrilling but the film as a whole feels simultaneously overlong and emotionally truncated.

Folks who've read the book will probably be satisfied with the results, while those unfamiliar with the source material may dismiss it as derivative and inferior. (Stop me if you think you've heard this one before: "Divergent" takes place in a rigidly structured, dystopian future where one extraordinary girl will serve either as its destroyer or its savior.) But the performances—namely from stars Shailene Woodley and Theo James and Kate Winslet in a juicy supporting role—always make the movie watchable and often quite engaging.

In the fenced-off remnants of a post-war Chicago 100 years from now, society has been broken down into five factions—groups of people arranged by a primary, defining trait. The Amity are happy, hippie farmers who dress in shades of sorbet. The Candor run the judicial system and value truth about all else. The Erudite are the serious-minded scholars who wear conservative, dark blue. The Abnegation are known for their selflessness and modesty. And the pierced-and-tatted Dauntless are the brave soldiers who protect the city from … who knows what? Whatever the perceived threat is, it requires them to run, scream and practice parkour wherever they go.

Woodley's Beatrice Prior is a member of the Abnegation alongside her brother, Caleb ( Ansel Elgort ), and their parents ( Ashley Judd and Tony Goldwyn ). They dress in drab colors, eat simply and are only allowed to steal a quick glance in the mirror once every three months when it's time for a haircut. Basically, they're no fun, and Beatrice has a wild streak in her that she's been forced to suppress.  

When she undergoes the aptitude test required of all teens, which determines which faction is the best reflection of one's true nature, her results are inconclusive. She's got pieces of a few different places in her, which makes her what's known as Divergent, which makes her dangerous. Thinking for yourself is a naughty thing in this world, apparently; plus, the angsty inner conflict that rages within Beatrice is something to which the target audience for the book (and the movie) surely can relate.

At the annual Choosing Ceremony, where the teens use their test results to pick the faction they want to join for the rest of their lives—like the last night of sorority rush, mixed with the "Harry Potter" sorting hat—Beatrice dares to choose Dauntless. This means she can never see her family again. (Man, the rules are strict in dystopian futures.) But it also means she gets to train to unleash the bad-ass that's been lurking inside her all along.

Renaming herself Tris, our heroine must learn how to fight, shoot, jump from moving trains, throw knives and control her mind in a series of harrowing simulations, all while competing against a couple dozen other initiates in a demanding ranking system. Eric (a coolly intimidating Jai Courtney ) is the merciless Dauntless leader who's taking the faction—which was founded on the notion of noble courage—in a more militant and vicious direction.

But the hunky trainer who goes by the name Four (James) is the one who will have a greater impact on the woman Tris will become. Quietly and generically brooding at first, James reveals more depth and shading to his conflicted character as the story's stakes increase. He and Woodley have an easy chemistry with each other, but the romance that took its time and smoldered on the page feels a bit rushed on the screen.

Similarly, the supporting figures who had identifiable personalities in the book mostly blend into the background here, including Tris' best friend, Christina ( Zoe Kravitz ). But it is extremely amusing to see Miles Teller , who played Woodley's first love last year in the wonderful " The Spectacular Now ," serve as her enemy here as the conniving fellow initiate Peter. The smart-alecky Teller is also the only actor here who gets to have much fun. With the exception of a few major set pieces—the zip-line ride from the top of the John Hancock Center, for example—"Divergent" is a rather dark and heavy endeavor.

Woodley, though, by virtue of the sheer likability of her presence, keeps you hanging on, keeps you rooting for her. She may not have the blazing, rock-star power of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss in " The Hunger Games ," but there's a subtlety and a naturalism to her performance that make her very accessible and appealing. And when she needs to crank it up and kick some butt—as she does in a climactic scene with Winslet as the evil Erudite leader who's hell-bent on eradicating Divergents and maintaining control—she doesn't oversell it.

Plus, there could be worse role models for the eager adolescent audience than a young woman who's thoughtful, giving and strong—all at once. The inevitable sequel will show us what else she's got in her.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film credits.

Divergent (2014)

Rated PG-13

143 minutes

Shailene Woodley as Beatrice Prior / Tris

Theo James as Tobias "Four" Eaton

Kate Winslet as Jeanine Matthews

Miles Teller as Peter

Jai Courtney as Eric

Zoë Kravitz as Christina

Ansel Elgort as Caleb Prior

Ray Stevenson as Marcus Eaton

Maggie Q as Tori

• Neil Burger
• Evan Daugherty
• Vanessa Taylor

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Common sense media reviewers.

Strong female character leads in violent dystopia.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The lead character deals with important issues abo

Tris sometimes doubts herself but taps into her co

There is a less violence in the movie than in the

In addition to a few longing looks, just one long

A couple of uses of "bitch," "s--t,

In one scene it looks like some of the Dauntless a

Parents need to know that Divergent is the first adaptation of author Veronica Roth's best-selling dystopian trilogy. Set in a future Chicago, the movie is slightly less violent than the book but still depicts the brutal world of a post-apocalyptic society divided into factions or groups. People are…

Positive Messages

The lead character deals with important issues about identity and finding her place in a controlling society. Tris and Four struggle with what it really means to be selfless, brave, smart, and kind, as they explore trusting their own beliefs rather than those imposed by the separatist government.

Positive Role Models

Tris sometimes doubts herself but taps into her courage and ingrained selflessness to protect others even when she doesn't realize it, like when she stands up for Al and takes a punishment for him. Four encourages Tris to use her upbringing's focus on selflessness to be even more courageous. Tris and Four offer a positive example of a teen relationship; they treat each other as equals, defend and protect each other, and go slow with their romance.

Violence & Scariness

There is a less violence in the movie than in the book, but it's still a violent story. Several characters are shot at, injured, or killed including beloved parents. Teen siblings are orphaned by the end of the movie. The Dauntless faction of brave risk takers requires a brutal initiation that includes several scenes of bloody hand-to-hand combat (until someone can't get up any more), knife-throwing, marksmanship, and more. Characters are routinely sparring and injuring one another -- or entering fear simulations to deal with their greatest fears, whether it's wild animals, confined spaces, drowning, etc. A character commits suicide and his dead body is briefly shown. Three masked guys grab Tris, beat her up and nearly throw her to her death. Christina is forced to hang off of a ledge for a certain amount of time to atone for her cowardice. During a climactic sequence, drugged soldiers shoot and kill unarmed citizens.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

In addition to a few longing looks, just one long passionate kiss (with the guy shirtless), and some heartfelt embraces. During a fear simulation, Tris imagines Four kissing her on a bed and trying to convince her to have sex before she's ready, but she defends herself.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

A couple of uses of "bitch," "s--t," and "a--hole." Other insults include "Stiff," "coward," "stupid," "loudmouth."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

In one scene it looks like some of the Dauntless are drinking, but it's not clear.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Divergent is the first adaptation of author Veronica Roth's best-selling dystopian trilogy . Set in a future Chicago, the movie is slightly less violent than the book but still depicts the brutal world of a post-apocalyptic society divided into factions or groups. People are killed, orphaned, injured, and thoroughly beat up in bloody hand-to-hand combat (including guy-on-girl fist fights), violent bullying, an armed occupation, and mass killings of unarmed people. There's a central romance, but it remains fairly chaste -- only some longing looks, embraces and one extended, passionate kiss. The movie features a brave, vulnerable, and fierce female main character. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (38)
• Kids say (291)

Based on 38 parent reviews

A page turner that is a bit too steamy

A great film - possibly suitable for your younger kids, if they have the attention span, what's the story.

In the distant future, Chicago is cut off from the rest of America in a society strictly divided into five factions based on character traits -- Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the kind), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice "Tris" Prior ( Shailene Woodley ) is a 16-year-old Abnegation-born teen whose government-sponsored personality test reveals she is DIVERGENT-- meaning she doesn't fit into just one faction. After choosing to join Dauntless, Tris must survive a brutal (and bloody) initiation process under the tutelage of her handsome, mysterious instructor Four ( Theo James ). Together they discover that the Erudite, led by Jeanine Matthews ( Kate Winslet ), plan to kill all Divergents and take control of the government -- unless Tris and Four can stop them.

Is It Any Good?

The movie adaptation of the popular YA series benefits from a talented cast, a spot-on visual depiction of the factions, the Dauntless Pit, and the story's urban Chicago setting. The acting ensemble is as good as the cast of The Hunger Games and vastly superior to that of Twilight and the forgettable Vampire Academy and Mortal Instruments adaptations . While Woodley doesn't fit the canon description of Tris, she captures the character's mix of vulnerability and courage, her desire to be independent in a world that demands conformity. And although heartthrob Theo James is almost too manly looking for Woodley's doe-eyed ingenue, he definitely gets the job done as the intensely serious Four.

But the movie doesn't live up to the hype or the potential of the written series. The Dauntless initiation process isn't as violent or emotional on the screen as it is on the page, and neither is the buildup of the Tris and Four romance or Tris' friendship with her fellow transfer initiates. Considering the two-and-a-half-hour runtime, there are parts that drag on and yet aspects of the book that seem surprisingly cut. The performances (Winslet is fabulous as the icy Erudite leader, and Zoe Kravitz, Maggie Q, and Jai Courtney are all true to the spirit of their characters) make up for some of the pacing and screenwriting issues, but overall this adaptation falls short of fan expectations. Still, tweens and teens who've read the books should absolutely see the movies and hope the second and third installments fare better.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the popularity of violent dystopian stories aimed at teenagers. What purpose does the violence serve in Divergent ? Is it different to see violence rather than to read about it? How does the violence in the book compare to the movie?

How does Tris compare to other female protagonists in young adult books and movies? What are her views on love, family, and relationships? Does she have the qualities of a role model?

Discuss the central romance between Tris and Four. Were you surprised at how slowly it progressed? What messages about love and sex does the film communicate?

Fans of the book: Was the movie a faithful adaptation? What differences did you like, which scenes from the book did you miss?

How do the characters in Divergent demonstrate courage ? Why is this an important character strength?

Movie Details

• In theaters : March 21, 2014
• On DVD or streaming : August 5, 2014
• Cast : Shailene Woodley , Theo James , Kate Winslet
• Director : Neil Burger
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Summit Entertainment
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Book Characters , Great Girl Role Models
• Character Strengths : Courage
• Run time : 143 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality
• Last updated : March 2, 2024

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Divergent: film review.

Shailene Woodley and Theo James topline the first of three features based on novelist Veronica Roth’s postapocalyptic trilogy.

By Sheri Linden

Sheri Linden

Senior Copy Editor/Film Critic

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Dystopia is no picnic for most everyone involved, but in the future world of Divergent , it’s especially hard on teens. At the heart of Veronica Roth ’s YA bestseller is a provocative existential dilemma involving adolescence and identity: At age 16, everyone must choose which of society’s stringently defined factions they’ll join. That could mean staying on home turf or leaving family far behind, and it’s an irreversible decision. In an era when you’re never too young to not just choose a career but to launch one, it’s an idea with particular resonance.

It’s also an idea that loses much of its potency in the movie adaptation, as director Neil Burger struggles to fuse philosophy, awkward romance and brutal action. Even with star Shailene Woodley delivering the requisite toughness and magnetism, the clunky result is almost unrelentingly grim. Dystopia can be presented in dynamic ways, but this iteration of it is, above all, no picnic for the audience.

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Lukewarm reviews might squelch curiosity among those unfamiliar with the trilogy of books, but the must-see factor among fans will ensure a robust opening for Summit, which has two sequels in the works and the next installment, Insurgent , fast-tracked for early-2015 release.

Like most social science fiction, the story, set in a war-ravaged Chicago in an unspecified future, is propelled by the friction between freethinkers and an authoritarian regime. Protagonist Beatrice Prior (Woodley) faces particular jeopardy because she’s a rare and dangerous bird: a so-called Divergent, who doesn’t fit neatly into one of the prescribed categories that control every aspect of life.

Like the source material, the film begins on the eve of the Choosing Ceremony, as 16-year-old Beatrice submits to the aptitude test — a personality quiz via drug-induced hallucination — that will tell her which faction suits her best. The inconclusive results alarm her tester (a well-cast Maggie Q ), who warns her never to tell a soul that she’s Divergent. Being uncategorizable makes Beatrice a threat to the social order.

Perhaps reaching too quickly for the epic, the screen adaptation, credited to Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor , skimps on setting up the Prior family dynamics, lessening the emotional impact of the ceremony in which both Beatrice and her brother, Caleb ( Ansel Elgort ), opt to transfer out of Abnegation, the faction of the selfless. Beatrice has never felt as naturally charitable as her parents ( Ashley Judd and Tony Goldwyn ), and her face lights up whenever she sees the Dauntless, the brave ones who snarl and rollick like a bunch of punk rockers; they’re as boisterous and defiant as the members of Abnegation are low-key and self-effacing.

PHOTOS: Shailene Woodley’s Career in Pictures

Beatrice’s first moments with her new tribe bear out the sense of thrills and danger she observed from a distance. Jumping from a moving train — the Dauntless way of arriving, and one of the film’s best sequences — she gets to experience the kinetic physicality long denied her. (The rusted-out but still functioning elevated trains are a standout component of Andy Nicholson ’s production design.)

But soon after Beatrice joins the Dauntless, and redubs herself Tris, she finds that train jumping, building scaling and other wild behavior isn’t the choice of free spirits but the requirement of soldiers in training. The subterranean Pit that serves as Dauntless HQ is a bleak place, devoid of humor or brightness — as is the movie.

Tris’ martial indoctrination takes up much of the first hour, putting her in a number of punishing mano-a-mano bouts with other initiates. Those who don’t prove their mettle will end up among the “factionless,” outcasts subsisting on the streets of a city where you can never go home again.

Instructor Four (a commanding Theo James , of Underworld: Awakening ) takes an interest in Tris and her survival, mitigating the merciless demands of leader Eric ( Jai Courtney ). Predictably, things steam up: Four shows Tris his tattoo and, in an act of real intimacy, invites her into his chemically produced nightmare, the better to prepare her for the final hurdle in her training: a fear test that’s an obvious variation on Room 101 in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four .

PHOTOS: Exclusive Portraits of Shailene Woodley

In small roles, some of which will probably take on greater weight in the next film, Mekhi Phifer and Ray Stevenson play faction leaders, and Zoe Kravitz and Miles Teller are two initiates from Candor (faction of the truth tellers).

Kate Winslet  shows up in icy-blonde mode as Jeanine, a ferocious proponent of the brave new world’s social engineering and leader of the Erudite, the brainy faction that’s waging a campaign to discredit the ruling Abnegation. (The peaceful Amity faction barely registers in the film.) A conversation between Jeanine and Tris offers a few moments of refreshingly sublimated hostility. Otherwise, such high-wire tension is MIA as nearly every exchange hits the nail squarely on the head (echoing the plain prose of the book).

Carlo Poggioli  brings a utilitarian expressiveness to the color-coded faction outfits, while Nicholson’s sets excel at industrial grunge; Chicago’s Navy Pier and its Ferris wheel make for a vivid abandoned amusement park. In general, though, the postwar cityscape feels generic, captured in straightforward widescreen images by cinematographer Alwin Kuchler , who created a far more affecting sense of dystopian malaise in the underappreciated Code 46 .

The score by Junkie XL ( Hans Zimmer is credited as executive score producer) is rousing when appropriate and mostly unobtrusive, unlike the tone-deaf use of indie-pop and techno tracks at key points in the action ( Randall Poster is the music supervisor).

Woodley, a sensitive performer, is hamstrung by the screenplay but lends her role relatability and a convincing athleticism. Burger and Kuchler’s unfortunate preference for mascara-ad close-ups, however, detracts from the character’s grit.

In the hands of Burger, whose credits include The Illusionist and Limitless , the story’s elements of spectacle, decay, symbolism and struggle only rarely feel fully alive. Lackluster direction in the early installments of other YA franchises hasn’t slowed their momentum, though. Divergent will be no exception.

Opens: Friday, March 21 (Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment) Production: Red Wagon Entertainment Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer, Kate Winslet Director: Neil Burger Screenwriters: Evan Daugherty, Vanessa Taylor Based on the novel by Veronica Roth Producers: Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Pouya Shahbazian Executive producers: John J. Kelly, Rachel Shane Director of photography: Alwin Kuchler Production designer: Andy Nicholson Music: Junkie XL Executive score producer: Hans Zimmer Co-producer: Veronica Roth Costume designer: Carlo Poggioli Editors: Richard Francis-Bruce, Nancy Richardson PG-13; 139 minutes

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Divergent Review

04 Apr 2014

139 minutes

In the post-apocalyptic future of the Veronica Roth novel adapted here, the question, "What is your greatest strength?" is no longer a job interview stumper but the basis of an entire society. Five factions - Abnegation, Candour, Amity, Dauntless and Erudite (consistent grammar apparently died with civilisation) now comprise the population, and this compulsory segregation is designed somehow to promote peace, despite an almost immediate sense that these groups are poised for conflict. It's a set-up more successful as a philosophy class hypothetical than a dramatic premise, but director Neil Burger does a good job of papering over cracks that could have ruined his character study.

Our heroine is Shailene Woodley's Tris, born in the Amish-like Abnegation faction to selflessly serve others but who, we learn from voiceover, doesn't quite fit in. It turns out that that she is 'Divergent', with an aptitude for three factions. This is portrayed like a superpower, with Tris able to solve problems that stump her faction mates, but it makes her a threat to the carefully ordered system.

Tris soon joins the Dauntless, a group characterised by high-tech sportswear, a penchant for whooping and a habit of jumping from fast objects and high buildings. There she makes new friends, including hunky trainer Four (Theo James), and the film's second act becomes a lengthy and violent training montage. But while Tris faces a growing chance of discovery by scary Erudite leader Jeanine (Kate Winslet on the sort of stern form that suggests she's the natural heir to Judi Dench), trouble is brewing on a larger scale.

If you're getting shades of The Hunger Games from all this the filmmakers will be thrilled, because they're all-too-obviously trying to launch a similar franchise with a tough heroine, solid action sequences and a world that might credibly be shaken by a teenager. But while the dystopian, stratified societies are superficially similar, Divergent has none of the cod-Roman familiarity of The Hunger Games. There's more training than action - much of the film is concerned with Tris' quest to move up her class rankings rather than grand questions of politics - and on small human dramas Tris must negotiate. The location, the real Chicago playing its digitally ruined self, gives it a scale it might otherwise lack, even if the visuals are highly reminiscent of I Am Legend.

The film's great strength is its cast, and Woodley in particular. Her attempts to negotiate the pressures of friends, family and her own nature are understated and credible even when she faces fantastical challenges, and like Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games she convinces as an action heroine. James stays just the right side of brooding as the male lead, and more established actors - Winslet, Ashley Judd and Tony Goldwyn as Tris' parents, Ray Stevenson as the Abnegation leader and Maggie Q as, essentially, Basil Exposition - earn their day's pay in the smaller supporting roles. Whether they will all get the sequel that it begs for remains to be seen, but purely as a first chapter to something larger it's an entertaining start.

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• DVD & Streaming
• Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy , War

Content Caution

In Theaters

• March 21, 2014
• Shailene Woodley as Beatrice Prior/Tris; Theo James as Four; Ashley Judd as Natalie; Kate Winslet as Jeanine; Jai Courtney as Eric; Miles Teller as Peter

Home Release Date

• August 5, 2014
• Neil Burger

Distributor

• Summit Entertainment

Movie Review

Beatrice Prior has a choice to make. And, frankly, it’s not a choice that the 16-year-old wants to make. She’d rather just keep living with her parents and not worry about where she “fits” in society.

But that’s not how things work these days.

It’s been 100 years since the war that wiped out most of humanity. The last remnants of civilization now live behind a giant wall in what was once Chicago. And in these trying times, survival of the human race demands structuring things a bit differently. To best help society, everyone is told, a person’s role must be made clear early on and remain consistent.

And so Beatrice must choose one of the five so-called factions in which she’ll spend the rest of her life. She can remain in the Abnegation faction with her parents, a group that sacrificially serves the world around them. Or she can opt for the Amity faction of kindhearted farmers, the honest Candor faction of judges, the Erudite thinkers and scientists or the Dauntless faction that bravely protects all the rest.

It’s obviously a huge decision.

Fortunately there’s a test that helps figure out each individual’s genetic and psychological strengths. You simply drink a serum, lay back, have a hallucination or two and let a special machine read you like a book. That’s how it’s supposed to work, anyway.

In Beatrice’s case, it doesn’t. When she comes to, the attendant looks at her nervously and suggests she slip out the back door right away. “And don’t tell anybody about this,” the woman warns her. Beatrice’s test, you see, suggests she’s equally adept at three different skill sets, that she could happily find a home in any of the three related factions.

Now, you might think that would give her an advantage. But in this society, that makes Beatrice something odd. Something dangerous. Something destabilizing to the well-defined social order. Something … divergent.

In short, Beatrice is the kind of person the factions can’t easily control. She doesn’t feel dangerous. But she is . She’s an anomaly that can threaten the whole system. And so she has to make sure she keeps her added abilities under wraps and not draw any attention to herself.

Because the so-called Divergents actually don’t get a choice.

They get to be … eliminated.

Positive Elements

But Beatrice does choose. She keeps quiet about her differences, picks the Dauntless faction of fighters and renames herself Tris. And though she struggles to keep pace physically with other trainees, Tris makes up for it by outclassing them when it comes to strategy and planning.

All of that puts her in a position to make a difference when one of the factions stages something of a civil war. Tris isn’t as mentally pliable as other Dauntless members, and she makes brave, self-sacrificial choices to protect literally thousands of innocents―circumventing a genocidal massacre.

A fellow Dauntless member named Four also puts his life on the line, stepping out of the ranks of soldiers to fight against impossible odds to support Tris’ heroic efforts. He also makes one of the movie’s most important speeches, declaring he would like to not just be brave, but also selfless, honest, kind and intelligent. It’s a mindset all of us can and should admire, not allowing ourselves to settle for just one quality characteristic, but aspiring to master them all.

Elsewhere, Tris’ family members repeatedly voice their love and support for one another. And when things get dangerous, both of Tris’ parents offer their lives to protect her and to save the lives of others. It’s said of their sacrifice, “They loved you. For them there was no better way to show you.”

Spiritual Elements

Divergent is set in a completely secular world, and there’s no real spiritual content to speak of. That said, the ceremony at which young people choose their faction has the feel of a religious rite. When each person’s name is called, he or she walks to a raised platform where five bowls represent the five factions. The choosing of a faction is done by taking a ceremional knife, cutting one’s hand and dripping blood into a bowl. The ceremony is meant to reinforce the idea that a person’s primary allegiance is now to a faction and no longer to a family. Accordingly, we repeatedly hear the phrase “Faction before blood.”

Sexual Content

New Dauntless pledges, both male and female, must all sleep in the same common area and use the same open shower area. We never see them do so, but we do see Tris, who’s clearly uncomfortable with the coed living arrangments, trying to change clothes while keeping as covered as possible. We very briefly glimpse her in a bra as she changes shirts, and others in the background are seen changing as well. When she slips off her jacket in another scene, a Dauntless teammate crudely yells at her, “Take it off!” She also wears a formfitting, cleavage-baring tank top at times (as do other Dauntless females).

Tris and Four (who’s her group leader), fall for each other. They hug and passionately kiss before she tells him, “I don’t want to go too fast.” At that point he backs off. Later, while under the influence of a hallucinatory drug, Tris envisions Four forcefully throwing her on the bed and moving toward her, then getting on top of her in a sexually threatening manner. (She knocks him away and escapes.)

Violent Content

Tris is a plebe in the soldiers’ ranks. As such, we see her and others go through painful training meant to shape them into unstoppable fighters. For instance, they bloody and bruise one another with vicious one-on-one beat-downs (including several guy-on-girl pummelings). Three hooded trainees threaten to throw Tris off a high cliff (before Four steps up to slam the offenders’ faces into a rock wall). A young woman is purposely left to dangle by her fingertips over a deadly precipice (to supposedly prove a point about never giving up). Another has her ear sliced by a thrown blade. In some cases, cadets are shot at close range with neuro-darts that simulate the writhing pain of being shot with a bullet. They jump on and off fast-moving trains. Initiation rituals include jumping several stories into a dark pit and rocketing down a precarious zip line between Chicago skyscrapers. 

Part of the Dauntless training also includes a drug-induced psychological test. In these ominous hallucinatory visions, trainees are threatened with raging fire, smothering quicksand, attacking canines and birds, forceful drownings, slowly closing and crushing walls, and men with belts and bludgeons. We also repeatedly see needles being injected into people’s necks in order to administer the drug. In two cases, test subjects are forced to shoot innocents (even loved ones) in execution-style killings. (The fatal shots are delivered offscreen.)

Once the civil war breaks out, things get deadly in real life, too, with scores of soldiers and civilians alike getting shot and killed. Tris ends up having to kill one of her own friends by shooting him. She shoots and injures a teen guard to make him reveal a key logistic. Throngs of men, women and children are forced to their knees with guns to their heads. A woman has her hand impaled by a thrown knife. In a relatively bloody fight with drug-addled Four, Tris puts a gun to her own forehead as a means of shocking him out of his hallucination. A young man’s body is pulled up out of a watery pit after he commits suicide. (His face is distorted and bloody.) A woman sticks her finger into Tris’ bloody shoulder wound. We see other wounded and bleeding victims die.

Crude or Profane Language

One whispered f-word. A half-dozen misuses of God’s name accompany two or three each of “a‑‑hole” and “b‑‑ch.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Many people receive injections of the dream-inducing drug that can also completely control them, removing their capacity to question or to disobey murderous orders. During a group celebration scene, several people raise the simple tin cups they drink from as if toasting someone.

Other Negative Elements

A particularly sadistic Dauntless leader named Eric takes pleasure in treating several new recruits (especially Tris) cruelly throughout the movie. (But not nearly so severely as in the book.) Not surprisingly, Eric is exactly the kind of soldier who’s easily manipulated by the film’s real power-hungry villain, a faction leader named Jeanine. Members of the self-sacrificing Abnegation faction are often mocked by the other groups because of their simple, pleasure- and vanity-eschewing ways, so much so that other factions use the slur “stiffs” to demean members of the group. One of Tris’ Dauntless teammates attacks her, then begs, “Can you ever forgive me?” Tris angrily replies, “If you even come close to me, I will kill you.” He then commits suicide (offscreen) by leaping off a tall wall.

Like the atomic bomb-laden sci-fi flicks of the past, today’s young adult, book-based movies offer themselves up as something more than just simple entertainment. In addition to a suspenseful, plot-driven story, they also offer broad allegories, fantasy filters through which viewers can ruminate on real-world issues.

In the case of Divergent (based on the novel of the same name by 25-year-old author Veronica Roth), it’s a teen in a dystopian future wrestling with her fate: being an outcast who can’t seem to figure out how to fit in. She frets over the fact that everyone wants to label her before she’s had the chance to figure herself out. And she grapples with high-stakes decisions in a high-conoformity world where you’re judged by every action.

Thus, I suspect most teens who see Divergent will readily nod and say, “Yep, I feel ya’.” Like Slate film reviewer Dana Stevens says, “It’s not a mystery why so many young-adult best-sellers (and the lucrative movie franchises based on them) would take place in post-apocalyptic societies governed by remote authoritarian entities and rigidly divided into warring factions. The word dystopia comes from a Greek root that roughly translates as ‘bad place,’ and what place could be worse than high school? Adolescence is not for the faint of heart. The to-do list for the decade between ages 10 and 20 includes separating from your parents, finding your place among your peers at school, beginning to make decisions about your own future, and—oh yes—figuring out how to relate to the world, and yourself, as a suddenly and mystifyingly sexual being.”

Admittedly, Divergent ‘s futuristic dystopian premise feels stretched to the point of being ridiculous. I mean, who’s really going to swallow the idea of a society where everybody has to fit into only one of five primary-color categories? Still, if a movie showcases the right stars, delivers the right CGI action and adds in the right kind of romance … well, as the old movie line goes, “If you build it, they will come.” And from that perspective, Divergent delivers exactly what teens seem to be coming for.

Is it a truly immersive moviegoing experience, a film that will inspire viewers to greatness? No, not quite. In fact, the misogynistic pummeling of its female lead can feel more than a little disquieting at times. Like the  Hunger Games movies before it, one can’t help but wonder if the teens-beating-teens cinematic tack shouldn’t have been avoided altogether. (A few other moments in the film, including some wince-inducing images of wounds and mass atrocities, as well as a glimpse of the film’s young star changing clothes, also need to be called out here in terms of content worth considering before heading off to join up with your own faction.)

Then again, this is an allegory, a fantasy that throws a young woman into the roiling waves of figuring out who she is, how she fits, and what’s right and wrong. It ultimately shows her meeting those challenges with a heart of self-sacrifice and heroism and an impassioned concern for those she loves. And it advocates for us all to be more than one-dimensional beings, to strive for well-roundedness as we practice a wide array of positive characteristics.

As allegories go, that might not be very, um, divergent from the norm, but neither is it all bad.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Screen Rant

'divergent' review, divergent, falls somewhere in a middle ground between high points of the hunger games and the low points of the twilight saga..

Divergent   takes place in a future Chicago that exists in the era after a great war. In order to avoid the pitfalls of the former world, the new society is divided into five factions: Candor (outspoken opinionated types suited for legality and politics), Erudite (the brainiacs who love knowledge and logic), Dauntless (brave risk-takers used for policing and military service), Amity (peaceful hippie-type farmers), and Abnegation (Amish-style simple folk who are the only ones trusted to hold public office). At age sixteen, each citizen is given an aptitude test meant to reveal their personality, and soon after, he or she must freely decided for themselves which faction they will join for life. "Faction before blood," as the old adage goes...

The twist comes when young Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) takes her aptitude test and discovers that she is "divergent" - i.e., part of an anomalous percentage of people who don't fit into any of the five factions. Beatrice is warned that divergence is a death sentence, so she reinvents herself as "Tris," a fearless and spirited member of Dauntless faction. However, before being accepted as a Dauntless warrior Tris has to contend with harsh instructors like Four (Theo James) and Eric (Jai Courtney), and jealous fellow recruits like Peter (Miles Teller) - all while protecting the secret of her divergence at all costs.

Directed by Neil Burger ( Limitless, The Illusionist ) and based on the young adult book series by Veronica Roth,  Divergent  presents an interesting sci-fi world and premise by way of an interesting main character - but unfortunately, those positives are weighted down by the usual negatives associated with modern YA genre films: namely, thin writing and cheesy teen romance.

Burger is best known as a director (some might say underdog) whose films create solid and immersive cinematic experiences with nice flourishes - even if his overall style as a director often fails to wow.  Divergent  pretty much falls in step with the trend of Burger's other films - a solid realization that has some nice flourishes, but never fully achieves an awe-inspiring cinematic experience.

The future world of Roth's novel looks interesting onscreen, but often the set pieces are something you could see in a sci-fi television show, and many of the attempts at more cinematic visual flair fall flat - as in, flat on the unconvincing green screens and poorly rendered CGI objects that are the standard of this film. Despite those (budgetary) shortcomings, however, Burger's small stylistic flourishes do make many of the surreal moments of the film interesting (the fear test sequences), and generally sell the world the film is attempting to create. In other words: a solid director does a solid job.

Having never read the novel myself, I can't know how well writers Evan Daughterty ( Snow White and the Huntsman ) and Vanessa Taylor ( Game of Thrones ) did with adapting the book for the screen - but knowing the basic summary of the story, I can say that many of the problems in  Divergent  likely originate at the source. The good parts of the story rest with the premise, the protagonist, and the overall themes about self-identity and defying conformity in favor of individuality. Luckily, those ripe elements of the story are what constitute the first two acts of the film, as Tris finds her faction and navigates the rough training regiment of Dauntless.

Where things go awry is (as per usual for this genre) when the teen romance subplot sucks momentum out of what was a more engaging and interesting story - but that's not to take away from lead actors Shailene Woodley ( The Descendants ) and Theo James ( Underworld: Awakening ). She's cute, feisty and smart, he's tall charming and handsome; the pair create an understated, slow-burn flirtatious chemistry that really carries the character moments of the film.

However, when Tris and Four inevitably go all doe-eyed for one another, it's pretty much a derailment of everything the film was doing up to that point. Gone is the story of an independent young woman's journey of self-discovery and empowerment, and here again is the insipid YA cliche where kissing the boy solves all the problems. (The last scene in the film is especially ridiculous in this regard.)

Aside from Jai Courtney ( A Good Day to Die Hard ) once again adding some flavor as abusive drill sergeant, Eric, the supporting cast (which includes Maggie Q, Ashley Judd, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn and Mekhi Phifer) is pretty much a misuse of some good talent. The supporting characters are either flat, cliched or undeveloped during the course of the film - and yes, I know, the book probably explains them in greater detail. But the film does not. Kate Winslet and Ashley Judd do good work with their roles as the cold leader of Erudite and Tris' mother, respectively. But don't count on those accomplished actresses to have much screen time.

In the end, Divergent , falls somewhere in a middle ground between high points of  The Hunger Games  and the low points of  The Twilight Saga . It's not dead on arrival (see:  The Mortal Instruments ), but it's too close to call whether or not many viewers (beyond the built-in fanbase) will leave the theater eager for the next chapter in Tris' path to self-discovery... and boys.

[poll id="777"]

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Divergent   is now playing in theaters. It is 139 minutes long and is Rated PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality.

Stay tuned for our  Divergent  episode of the Screen Rant Underground Podcast .

Follow me and talk movies @ppnkof

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

At the risk of alienating young-adult hearts, the faithful but dramatically flat film version of Divergent , from Veronica Roth’s 2011 bestseller, couldn’t stir palpitations in shut-ins. It’s that bland and lifeless. Odd for a story about rebellious youth in a dystopian future Chicago. Roth, just 22 when Divergent was published, rushed out two follow-up novels, Insurgent and Allegiant . A baldfaced attempt to cash in on the success of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy? You be the judge. The plots – two lovers fight to stay alive in a cruel, controlling society – are virtually identical. At least The Hunger Games spawned two terrific movies and a breakthrough star in Jennifer Lawrence. Onscreen, Divergent ignites only indifference.

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I’m surprised. Shailene Woodley, a spirited actress in The Descendants and The Spectacular Now , seems an ideal choice to play Beatrice Prior, the 16-year-old heroine who must choose her place in a stacked-deck society. Theo James, the Brit actor who played the Turk who died scandalously in Lady Mary’s bed on Downton Abbey , is a tall drink of glowering sexuality as Four, her partner in dangerous personality traits. They needed to generate a sizzling chemistry onscreen. It’s not there. Nada.

I had hopes for director Neil Burger; he made magic with The Illusionist . But he can’t perk up a stultifying script by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor that hews to the surface of the book while jettisoning its daring. The teens in Chicago must choose a faction to define them – Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite. Beware divergents like Four and Tris (see how she jazzed up her name). But except for Kate Winslet’s fearsome turn as a villain, the only terror Divergent roused in me was that the drag-ass thing would never end. Sorry, I’m a Candor.

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‘Divergent’ movie review: Better than the book? Believe it.

It’s rare that a movie is as good as the book on which it’s based. It’s even more unusual when it’s better.

With the film adaptation of " Divergent ," the first novel in Veronica Roth's trilogy of dystopian thrillers , director Neil Burger (" Limitless ") has crafted a popcorn flick that's leaner, more propulsive and more satisfying than the bestseller that inspired it. Screenwriters Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor have cut the fat, picked up the pace and sharpened Roth's themes celebrating individualism and ingenuity, which were muted in Roth's somewhat sluggish and overlong telling. Daugherty and Taylor have even come up with an ending that more cleverly utilizes the story's teenage heroine Tris (Shailene Woodley) without changing the outcome.

It’s still cliffhanger-ish, in a way that makes this first installment of the trilogy feel more like an appetizer than a full meal. But the movie’s plot tweak alleviates the sense of mild disappointment generated by the book’s conclusion.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago that is walled off from the rest of the world by a massive rampart, “Divergent” imagines a society in which the citizenry is divided into five monolithic factions according to personality. Municipal government is controlled by the Abnegation faction, an ascetic class given to self-sacrifice and altruism. Candor runs the courts; Amity, a commune of hippielike agrarians, works the fields; and the Erudite pursue scientific advancement. Security is left in the hands of the Dauntless, a group of soldiers so intrepid they might better be called the Young and the Reckless.

It’s the Dauntless faction that Tris joins when, at 16, she is allowed to declare a new allegiance. Although all adolescents are given aptitude tests to determine factional affinity, they are also allowed the opportunity to remain in the community of their birth or to select another, even if the test indicates they are not suited for it.

As you may have guessed by now, Tris — by birth a member of Abnegation — is “divergent,” meaning that she has equal aptitude for more than one faction.

Although that makes her merely human, it also means that she’s harder to corral and must hide her capabilities. In the world of “Divergent,” it’s human nature that got people into the mess they’re in. Segregating them into neat little pods, not by color, but by character, seems as good — or as bad — a solution as any.

Silly, I know. But the film actually does a pretty good job of articulating this rationale. If the absurd premise sticks in your craw, stay away. All others, sit back and enjoy the parable.

The first part of the film focuses mainly on Tris’s initiation as a member of Dauntless, during which time her unusual skills draw attention, both wanted and unwanted. A handsome, brooding trainer known as Four (Theo James) takes her under his bulging biceps, even as Tris earns closer scrutiny from some jealous recruits.

Later, Tris’s contrariness catches the eye of the evil Erudite leader, Jeanine (Kate Winslet), who is plotting a coup against Abnegation with the help of an army of doped-up Dauntless robots.

Visually, “Divergent” delights, creating a believably decaying Chicago and using a palette of black, white, blue, gray and saffron costumes to delineate the five factions’ uniform-like clothing. Woodley also makes for an appealingly complex Tris, a heroine whose sense of loss at leaving her family behind — along with her sense of identity — is tempered by the thrill of discovering new powers, both moral and physical.

The book spent a lot of ink exploring the romance between Tris and Four. Even if it didn’t use that relationship to define the young heroine, it seemed to be saying that sexual awakening is as much a part of Tris’s journey as anything.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but the movie serves up an even more fully fleshed version of Tris. She’s fascinating for what she does, not merely for whom she likes.

PG-13. At area theaters. Contains violence, some obscenity and disturbing thematic material. 130 minutes.

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Movie Review: Divergent (2014)

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• --> March 23, 2014

Facing fears.

I grew up in a time when young adult books were found in the children’s section of the bookstore and were simply fluff used to keep me quiet on long road trips. In recent years, though, young adult literature has found some serious strength, and the chances of finding a quality story are much better than they used to be. Hollywood has latched onto this pattern, putting out a steady diet of titles in recent years. At first they struck gold with stories driven by fantasy (“Harry Potter” and “ Twilight ”) and are now seeing success with adapting dystopian sagas to the screen like “ The Hunger Games ” and “ Ender’s Game .” The latest (and one I thoroughly enjoyed reading) is Veronica Roth’s Divergent .

Divergent opens with a voiceover by Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley, “ The Spectacular Now “), a young girl who has grown up in a time after a great war in what was once Chicago. She tells us that society has found a new way to survive and everyone is divided into five factions, each named for the dominant characteristic of its people: Amity — those who are peaceful; Candor — those who are truthful; Erudite — those who seek knowledge; Dauntless — those who are brave; and Abnegation — those who are selfless. Beatrice and her family live in Abnegation, the faction that governs the rest of society. Being a selfless people, they are most trusted with guiding policy towards what is best for everyone.

Each year, 16-year-olds take an aptitude test that identifies their dominant characteristic and will help them decide which faction to choose. After all, as Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet, “ Contagion “) tells them, “The future belongs to those who know where they belong.” Beatrice takes her test, but her results are inconclusive — instead of just one dominant characteristic, three emerge. Beatrice is Divergent, and in this society that is considered extremely dangerous (the thought is if you don’t fit into a category, you can’t be controlled). Knowing this, her test administrator, Dauntless faction member Tori (Maggie Q, “ Priest “), rushes her out of the room telling Beatrice she is in danger and must hide her results. Her best bet is to stay in Abnegation, but Beatrice, fascinated by their fearlessness, chooses instead to join Tori in Dauntless. Breaking free from expectation she takes on the new identity of Tris, and readies herself to endure the intense physical and mental training ahead.

Using determination to succeed where her physical weakness often fails her, she begins climbing the rankings, catching the attention of her trainers. Eric (Jai Courtney, “ A Good Day to Die Hard “) playing the “bad cop,” is determined to break her and all of the new faction members (in one particularly intense “mental” exercise, he tosses Christina (Zoë Kravitz, “ X-Men: First Class “) over the side of bridge, “teaching” her to hold on and to never give up). Four (Theo James, “ Underworld: Awakening “) is the “good cop,” verbally emphasizing courage and strength, and gives Tris pointers in how she can defeat her opponents in sparring matches.

But as she grows stronger, word of dissention grows — it is said that the Erudite want to overthrow Abnegation for control of the government. This prospect raises concerns for Tris: Her parents (Tony Goldwyn, “ The Mechanic ” and Ashley Judd, “ Olympus Has Fallen ”) remain in Abnegation and her brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort, “ Carrie ”) is a new Erudite initiate.

Combat training.

While Veronica Roth’s Divergent is the start to an exciting saga, Neil Burger’s Divergent misses the mark. He and the screenwriting duo of Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor represent the five different factions and present a dystopian Chicago (especially the Choosing Ceremony) correctly, but the characters are not nearly dynamic enough. A film that focuses on introducing a situation for later films rather than delivering action (as this one clearly is) needs quality characters to evoke emotion from us. Unfortunately, Divergent spends too much time developing characters who don’t jump off the screen the way they jump off the page.

Shailene Woodley, as talented an actress as she is, doesn’t come across as a very believable action heroine. At all. Theo James’ Four, who refused appointment as Dauntless leadership, seems more talented in staring intensely at Tris than actually pushing initiates to become stronger. That being said, James’ chemistry with Woodley is undeniable — at least as evidenced by the happy sighs from the teenage girls with whom I saw the film. Eric is too much of a caricature of the tough-guy trainer who pushes too hard; yes, he’s a villain, but unlike in the novel, he’s barely more than a stereotype here. Most disappointing, however, is Kate Winslet’s Jeanine (whose role is amplified here in a similar fashion to Donald Sutherland’s amplified role of President Snow in “The Hunger Games”). She’s rather bland and she’s just not as threatening or diabolical as she needs to be.

Although Divergent didn’t deliver as it should’ve, I’m not ready to cast aside the series (or the genre) yet. There is time to reclaim the story and build the characters further for the more intense “Insurgent” due in 2015. Until then, I cautiously look forward to the adaptation of James Dashner’s The Maze Runner in the fall.

Tagged: dystopia , novel adaptation , teenager

School teacher by day. Horror aficionado by night.

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'Movie Review: Divergent (2014)' have 16 comments

March 23, 2014 @ 1:24 pm Stenton

Shailene Woodley isn’t just bland she is blank. She is Kristen Stewart 2.0.

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March 23, 2014 @ 1:41 pm Longevity

Slow and clumsy is the only way to describe the film.

March 23, 2014 @ 2:02 pm Amplified Wonder

I thought the confrontation at the end needed more intensity but overall it was good enough introduction for me to want to see the trilogy through to the end.

March 23, 2014 @ 8:34 pm Meat is Tastey

Whether or not the story continues the ending to this was awful. It was the textbook definition of anticlimactic. And the reviewer is right, Kate Winslet is sorrily underused or underplayed.

March 23, 2014 @ 2:13 pm Sharepoint

Seemed like a lot of translation from the book was missed.

March 23, 2014 @ 3:38 pm 2Legit

No it’s faithful to the book. It just so happens that this book trilogy sucks something awful.

March 23, 2014 @ 2:45 pm Biff

The Hunger Games is all the YA I can handle.

March 24, 2014 @ 7:56 am johnrgoodall

lucky for you the muppets are around the corner

March 23, 2014 @ 2:52 pm Marty

Do all young girls like such tripe? This was a horror to sit through.

March 23, 2014 @ 3:18 pm Rob G

I will never, never ever see this movie

March 23, 2014 @ 5:26 pm Hearse

Oh my goodness, society is going to collapse because someone exhibits several personality traits. What an incredibly shallow and stupid concept. Shame it is going to make $500M in worldwide ticket sales.

March 23, 2014 @ 5:55 pm XCLUSIVE

As everyone plays as if theyre dead, I thought this made for a good zombie flick.

March 23, 2014 @ 10:15 pm Cronic

It wasn’t very good. It had some potential but it was clear it was produced with the sole purpose of putting as little into it so as to get the most returns out of it.

March 24, 2014 @ 10:28 am Cyndi

I liked it so much. I can’t wait to see Shailene Woodley heroine blossom farther in Insurgent.

March 24, 2014 @ 2:48 pm In a shadow

Stay in school, Cyndi.

March 24, 2014 @ 11:39 pm DHowell

If you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all. There are but only so many ways you can spin this crap/

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Johnny Oleksinski

‘the ministry of ungentlemanly warfare’ review: guy ritchie blows up history.

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THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE

Running time: 120 minutes. Rated R (strong violence throughout and some language). In theaters.

When the words “based on a true story” flash before a Guy Ritchie movie, you can’t help but laugh.

Because for this director, that’s short for “Yeah, the names are real, but barely any of what you’re about to see actually happened.”

I’m fine with that. In the case of Ritchie’s dudely diversion “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” flipping history books the bird is the right call.

For our amusement, he chooses fun over facts. 

The 82-year-old event the “ Wrath of Man ” director is mangling is Operation Postmaster — a British World War II effort in which a group of rogues were secretly sent to the coast of Africa to steal a Nazi supply ship.

Without that precious cargo, German submarines couldn’t function, thus allowing American forces to cross the Atlantic and join the war effort.

You won’t be surprised to learn that the op’s Wikipedia page is a lot duller than this hugely entertaining movie of badass shootouts, explosions and typically eccentric humor.

“An unsanctioned, unauthorized and unofficial mission,” says “M” (Cary Elwes) of the risky plan endorsed by Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear). A young Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox) is involved in the plot, too. Much of the eventual James Bond author’s inspiration came from his time working for Naval Intelligence.

To do their dirty work, they recruit Gus March-Phillipps (Henry Cavill), a gruff and unorthodox commando with a talent for killing. 

He is to discreetly — ha! — sail to the Spanish-controlled neutral colony Fernando Po and nab the big boat, along with Anders “The Danish Hammer” Lassen (Alan Ritchson), unfazed Geoffrey Appleyard (Alex Pettyfer), diver and explosives expert Freddy Alvarez (Henry Golding) and young Henry Hayes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin).

You could make a drinking game out of all these Henrys.

Once near the island, they liaison with spies Heron (Babs Olusanmokun) and Marjorie (Eiza González), a Jewish femme fatale who wants to take revenge on the Germans. 

And, in a scene that 100% never happened, she seductively sings a rendition of “Mack the Knife” at a Nazi soiree. 

Ritchie is tops when it comes to getting a group of guys (and, occasionally, gal) together to complete a bloody, belligerent task. And this is as taut an ensemble of his as ever.

Cavill is, for a change, an unkempt and unruly good time in a role that doesn’t demand he be remotely super. (His last film, the heinous “Argylle,” had him play a boring spy.) His hair is wild and curly, and his mustache should get its own IMDb page.

And how refreshing it is to see Golding — Mr. Debonair since starring in “Crazy Rich Asians” — playing a grungy non-billionaire.

Other than the offbeat performances, however, there are no surprises of shocks in this story. It’s a Point A to Point B journey that comes down to wisecracking blokes shooting Nazis. Only Guy Ritchie can turn such a setup into a pleasure cruise.

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• In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late.
• Set in a futuristic dystopia where society is divided into five factions that each represent a different virtue, teenagers have to decide if they want to stay in their faction or switch to another - for the rest of their lives. Tris Prior makes a choice that surprises everyone. Then Tris and her fellow faction-members have to live through a highly competitive initiation process to live out the choice they have made. They must undergo extreme physical and intense psychological tests, that transform them all. But Tris has a secret that she is Divergent, which means she doesn't fit into any one group. If anyone knew, it would mean a certain death. As she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly peaceful society, this secret might help her save the people she loves... or it might destroy her. — anonymous
• In a futuristic Chicago, society is divided into 5 factions. Abnegation the selfless, Dauntless the brave, Erudite the intelligent, Candor the honest, and Amity the peaceful. When all teenagers reach the age of 16, they must choose to either stay in their faction of birth, or transfer into another faction. Beatrice Prior must make the decision to stay with her family in a faction she feels she isn't right for, or to transfer into another faction, and leave her family behind. What follows is a highly competitive initiation, where the newly renamed Tris must make some tough decisions, but she must also keep a secret that she was warned could mean death, while she juggles friends, initiation, and a newfound love interest. But there is a secret lying beneath everything that threatens to tear the city apart. — labelma
• In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late. — rkf
• In a futuristic Chicago, the founders of the city divided their society into 5 different factions. Amity, Abnegation, Candor, Erudite, and Dauntless. Whenever a child turns the age of 16, they get to decide whether they want to stay with their family, or abandon them. For Beatrice Prior, it's difficult. The constant struggle to decide what to do nags at her. When she takes the aptitude test, which will help place them in a faction, she expects her faction of origin which is Abnegation. But she gets some surprising results. Beatrice, or Tris, makes a decision that shocks everyone, including herself. In this movie, there are unexpected romances, tough battles, and extreme bravery shown through Tris that she didn't know she had in her.
• The sun rises over a field in a futuristic Chicago. A rusty old ship rests on land, seemingly deserted for ages. Lake Michigan appears to be mostly dried up. We move to the rest of the area, where people are walking around wearing uniforms of identical colors to match their place of living. Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) explains that after a great war, society was divided into five separate areas called factions to maintain order. The Erudite faction is for the smartest and most logical-thinking people. They dress in a dark shade of blue. The Amity faction is meant for the kind and peaceful. They grow crops and provide for other factions. They dress in orange and yellow. The Candor faction values honesty, and they dress in black and white. The most fearless go to the Dauntless faction. They are the protectors of the nation, and they are known for their bravery as much as they are known for their crazy behavior. Their uniforms are black. Beatrice and her family reside in the Abnegation faction. They wear light grey clothes and are selfless and do not value power, giving them the nickname "Stiffs." They provide for the factionless, those who have no place to call home (basically the homeless population of the city). Because of this selfless demeanor, Abnegation forms the city's government. Beatrice's father Andrew (Tony Goldwyn) works closely with the Abnegation leader Marcus Eaton (Ray Stevenson). Her main concern is that she does not know where she really belongs. Beatrice's mother Natalie (Ashley Judd) cuts her hair and only allows her a brief amount of time to see her reflection to avoid vanity. It is the day of Beatrice's aptitude test, along with her twin brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort), in which they will find out which faction they are best suited for. She asks her mother if she was nervous when she took her test. Natalie says 'No. I was terrified.' Beatrice and Caleb go to the station where other 16-year-olds from the other factions are taking their aptitude tests. A Candor member, named Peter (Miles Teller), mocks the Abnegation kids and blames them for the dwindling supplies. Beatrice continues to wonder just where she will fit in. After the kids are all put through a brief history of the test and its origins, she gets up to take the test, monitored by a woman named Tori (Maggie Q). She puts Beatrice in a chair and has her drink a blue serum to start the test. Beatrice closes her eyes and then opens them to find herself alone, with Tori no longer standing by her side. She gets up and sees her reflection. She keeps turning her head and sees more and more reflections. Then there appears to be a rabid dog. It growls at Beatrice and then runs toward her. She closes her eyes and then sees it as a puppy. Her younger self appears, wanting to play with the puppy. It reverts to its mangy dog form, running to attack the little Beatrice. The older one runs after the dog, and they sink through the floor. Beatrice awakens with a jolt. Tori is in a panicked state. Beatrice asks her what the results were. Tori says they were inconclusive. According to the results, Beatrice is suited for Abnegation, but also Erudite and Dauntless. This is a rare case, known as Divergent; being suited for more than one faction. Tori tells her to go home and say she was sick from the serum. When Beatrice gets home, she is hesitant to tell her family what her results were. She just says she got Abnegation again. Andrew says that he needs to resolve matters with Abnegation as there is trouble going on with the faction's helping of the factionless, as well as a rumor being spread that Marcus hit his own son. It's also hinted that Erudite wants to be the ruling faction, instead of Abnegation. The day of the Choosing Ceremony arrives. The Prior kids meet the Erudite leader, Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet). It is suggested that someone in Erudite (most likely her) has been spreading the rumor about Marcus. Once the ceremony commences, the new initiates step up to a table with five bowls and a knife. They cut their hands and give a drop of blood into these bowls to choose their factions. Caleb chooses Erudite. There is scattered applause in Abnegation but the Erudite members proudly welcome him. Beatrice goes up, nervous. She cuts her hand and almost drops blood into Abnegation, but then decides on Dauntless. Her parents are surprised, and the Dauntless members welcome her. The initiates leave with their factions, and Beatrice looks at her mother one last time. Beatrice arrives in the Dauntless faction with all the other initiates. They run wild, climbing to the top of the elevated train tracks and chasing after the train as it goes so they can hop onto it before it's too late. Beatrice meets a Candor initiative, named Christina (Zoe Kravitz). They then have to jump off the moving train onto a rooftop. Dauntless leader Eric (Jai Courtney) gathers everyone over the edge of the rooftop for them to jump into a hole. He asks for a volunteer to go first, and Beatrice steps forward. After some hesitation, she jumps into the hole and lands on a net. She is pulled out by Dauntless instructor Four (Theo James). He asks for her name, and she decides to call herself 'Tris'. When everybody else comes down, he leads the initiates to The Pit, where everybody is having fun and they get to eat. There, Tris meets an Erudite initiative named Will (Ben Lloyd-Hughes) and Christina's friend from Candor, Al (Christian Madsen). Another Dauntless leader, Max (Mekhi Phifer), comes out to greet the initiatives and welcome them to Dauntless. The initiatives, including Tris and Christina, get carried away proudly. The initiates are given new all-black Dauntless clothing and set to begin training for them to prove they are worthy of staying in Dauntless. Eric warns them that if they fail to reach the top ranks, they will be kicked out of Dauntless and stay factionless, unable to return to their old homes. The first stage of training is combat where the initiatives fight against each other. Tris is put up against the last person to jump into the hole, a girl named Molly (Amy Newbold). Molly beats Tris easily. Additionally, she does not fare well in shooting practice or other tests. Four and Eric sneer at Tris and doubt her ability to keep up. To cheer her up, Christina, Will, and Al take her to a parlor to get tattoos. There, Tris finds Tori and follows her, even though it looks like she's trying to avoid her. She warns Tris that she shouldn't have chosen Dauntless as her new faction, because there are people looking for Divergents. She gives Tris a tattoo of three flying birds. Tris practices fighting on a punching bag, with Four coming to watch. He tells her she's weak, but fast, and her moves won't work. He positions her properly and gives her tips on what moves she should use. Meanwhile, Christina is fighting Molly, getting beaten pretty badly. Christina is knocked to the floor and recoils from Molly, pleading for no more. Eric asks Christina if she wants to give up, and she says yes. He helps her on her feet and guides her somewhere. They walk over a bridge that stands over a deep chasm. Eric asks her if she's feeling better and then pushes her off the bridge. Christina grabs onto it for dear life, and Eric times her to make a choice - hang on and he will forget her cowardice, let go and die, or give up and force herself out of the faction. She almost slips off until the time is up, and she's still hanging on. Tris and Four pull her out as she cries. Eric reminds them that Dauntless cannot be afraid of anything nor can they ever give up. The initiates then practice throwing knives at targets. Al throws his knife weakly and it doesn't hit anywhere close to the target. Eric tells him to go get it, but Al refuses to as everybody is throwing their knives. Eric stops everybody and forces Al to stand in front of the target. Before Eric throws his knife, Tris tells him that this won't prove anything. Eric makes her take Al's place. Four grabs four knives to throw. He throws the first one far away from Tris, but gets closer with each knife until he throws the last one close enough to cut Tris's ear. After the practice, she tells Four that he cut her, but he says Eric wouldn't have let her out of there if she was left without a scratch. The other initiatives, including Molly, congratulate Tris. Peter approaches her to congratulate her sarcastically while adding that there is a news report on both Tris and Caleb and their both choosing to leave Abnegation for other factions. The next day, Jeanine and a couple of Erudite Council members go into Dauntless, as it is implied they are searching for the Divergents. Tris never reveals her status, but Jeanine tells her to let her know if she needs anything. Tris is set up to fight against Peter. Four reminds her of the moves he told her about, which is to dodge her opponent's move and go for his throat first. Four also tells Tris that Peter always steps in before striking. Peter, being significantly bigger than Tris, has something of an upper hand, but Tris hits him in the throat as planned. However, he still ends up beating her hard, knocking her down, and then knocks her out with a stomp to the face. When she wakes up, Tris sees Christina and Will standing by her side with black jackets. Will tells Tris she's been out for a day and that Eric has decided to cut her from the faction. Her friends leave to join the other Dauntless initiates on the moving train. Tris, not ready to be thrown out, runs after the train and hops on. Eric is slightly impressed by her determination and allows her to join in on their game. Both Eric and Four gather up members for their team in an extreme version of Capture The Flag, with everyone carrying guns full of darts that simulate the pain of a gunshot. They are all taken to an abandoned amusement park, are divided into two opposing sides, and Four's team tries to come up with strategies on taking the other team down. Tris appears to want to say something, but impatient with all the discussion she simply acts alone to get an idea of where their opponents' flag & forces are from a better, higher vantage point. So she begins to climb the huge Ferris Wheel. Four follows her, though he looks uneasy climbing up. Tris realizes that he's afraid of heights. They get their view on the other team and lead their team into an smart attack. Together, Tris and Four shoot through Peter and Eric, and Tris takes Molly down, and with Christina they gain the flag and emerge victorious. As part of a final Dauntless initiation, Tris joins the others on a crazy zipline over the city. She pulls the braking cable just before she hits the wall at the end of the line. The next day, the Dauntless initiates are taking in bags of supplies from Amity and loading them onto trucks. Tris sees a light flashing in her eyes as if somebody is trying to get her attention. She walks behind the trucks and finds her mother had signaled. They hug. Natalie asks Tris if she really got Dauntless for her aptitude test. She admits her results were inconclusive. Natalie warns her not to let anybody know about this and to be safe, because Erudite is hunting down Divergents, believing they are a threat to their system since they do not conform to just one faction and are capable of free-thinking. Tris then asks Natalie if she was Dauntless. She leaves before answering. Tris's ranking rises above the dreaded red line, keeping her right above Al. Her current position is #20. The next stage of training is a simulation room to test out the initiates' control of their fears. Molly walks out of the room, shaking and trembling. Four oversees Tris's test. As the simulation begins, Tris sees herself in a field outside a town, behind a fence near the Amity faction. A flock of crows fly over her and swoop down to attack Tris. She tries to run but gets stuck in mud. The crows surround her, but she tells herself "This isn't real," and she swims into what looks like a puddle but actually holds a larger body of water. Tris is snapped out of the simulation. Four asks her how she got out of there so quickly. She only lasted three minutes, quicker than most initiates. Tris says she just got into the water. Her second simulation has her coming up to her friends, but she is trapped by an invisible wall. Christina appears to laugh at her and then talks to Peter. Tris realizes she is in a tank that slowly fills up with water. It starts to fill up to the top until she is completely submerged. She sees her reflection and once again tells herself, "This isn't real." She taps the glass lightly, but it somehow causes a big crack before finally breaking completely. She wakes up from the simulation again, and Four once more questions how she got out of there so fast. He's noticeably suspicious, and tells Tris that no Dauntless has ever completed the simulation so quickly. Tris goes to visit Tori. She reveals to Tris that her brother George was Divergent but he chose Dauntless as his faction. When he was found out, he was dropped into the chasm. Tris goes to Erudite headquarters to visit Caleb. The other Erudite members look at her with surprise to see a Dauntless member in there. Tris tells Caleb that she thinks Erudite is planning to take over the other factions, starting with Abnegation. Caleb, now acting and thinking like a real Erudite, agrees, but maintains his devotion to his faction over his family ("faction over blood"). Tris tearfully leaves when she realizes her brother won't help her. She is stopped by two Erudite officials trying to take her in. She punches one of them and tries attacking the other when Jeanine stops them. She takes Tris into her office to refresh her. Jeanine reminds her of the need to maintain a balance in the system, as well as peace. When Tris returns to Dauntless, she is caught by three masked guys. They carry her and nearly throw her into the chasm, but she fights herself out. She unmasks one of them, shocked to see it is Al. She fights them off and Four comes in to her rescue. He tends to her wounds, and she expresses disbelief that Al would attack her. Four says it's because he's trying to boost his ranks since he knows he's close to getting kicked out. Later, when everybody is eating in The Pit, Al tries to apologize to Tris for what he did. She tells him to leave her alone and that she'll kill him if he touches her. Afterwards, Tris and Christina come across the chasm where some Dauntless members are pulling out a body. It's Al, having jumped to his death out of guilt. Tris feels somewhat responsible for this. Tris admits to Four she isn't sure she'll pass her final testing either. When Four asks why, Tris says that Four knows she is Divergent. Four acknowledges that he knows, and says he's going to help her. Four brings Tris into the simulation room where he lets her get inside his mind to show her his fears. They start off high above the city, simulating Four's fear of heights. Tris suggests they jump because it's not real, but Four says that's something a Divergent would do. They need to overcome their fears the way a Dauntless would. They walk carefully over to the tower nearby to continue. They become trapped inside a vent, simulating Four's fear of containment. The walls start closing in on the two of them. They discover some nails and wedge them into the wall-floor joint. This stops the walls from crushing them. Four's next fear has him being forced to execute a factionless girl, but he cannot look at her with his gun aimed at her. Only by looking away can he fire. Finally, he and Tris find themselves in Abnegation - Four's original faction. They're in a house. Coming down the stairs is Marcus, holding a belt. Tris realizes that Four is Marcus's son, Tobias Eaton. Marcus walks over with the belt to hit Four, but Tris fights him off, and the simulation ends. Tris and Four walk onto the balcony of his apartment. She realizes he is "Four" because of his four fears. He shows her the tattoos on his back. He has the symbols of each faction on his back. Four states that he doesn't want to belong to just one faction. He wants to be kind, fearless, honest, selfless, and intelligent. This hints that he, too, is Divergent. The two of them kiss. Later, Four shows Tris a few Erudite members bringing in supplies. He shows her a vial of an orange serum that is being used to make people more prone to suggestion. Tris's final test comes, with Jeanine and other Erudite members, along with the Dauntless members, watching her. She is sat down in a chair and is told that her hallucinations will be viewed on monitors. Her previous fears come back to her. She is almost attacked by crows again, but this time, she doesn't jump in the water. She sees the field catching fire and grabs a burning branch to scare off the birds. Tris suddenly finds that she's tied up and lashed to a stake among the burning field. She thrusts her bound wrists down so the fire burns the ropes, and then plunges her hands into the water as soon as she's free. Next, she is back in the glass tank that fills up with water. Instead of breaking the glass, she takes off her jacket and plugs the pipe that sends the water in. She then finds herself in Four's room. He goes to kiss her, but then gets aggressive. He throws her onto the bed as if to rape her, so she kicks him in the groin and throws him off. Tris appears to wake up from the simulation, hoping Four didn't see the last bit. Jeanine comes over to hand Tris a gun as her parents and Caleb walk in. Jeanine tells Tris that she knows what to do. Tris refuses, but then hesitantly aims the gun at somebody (we don't see who) and she pulls the trigger. This snaps her out of the simulation. Tris is officially a Dauntless member. She and the other new members, including Will and Christina, are suited up and given guns as they line up for a mission. The Dauntless members are injected with a tracking device in case anybody gets lost, but Tris realizes they've actually been injected with the mind-control serum. As the Dauntless board the elevated train, Max and Eric see a man wandering out of line, uncertain of who to follow, leading them to realize he is a Divergent. Eric tells the man everything will be fine before he shoots him in the head. As the train carries the Dauntless, Tris very slowly and stealthily slips through the crowd until she is standing beside Four, and he takes hold of her hand. They are brought into the Abnegation neighborhood, ready to attack and round up the residents. The Dauntless members round up the Abnegation members, but Tris and Four refuse to join in the chaos. They are found out by Max and Eric, who conclude that both Tris and Four are Divergent. Eric aims his gun at Four, but Tris holds hers to Eric. Max aims at her, and Four aims at him. Tris and Four incapacitate both leaders and make a run for it, evading other antagonistic Dauntless members. They are then captured and brought to Jeanine. She recognizes Four as Tobias Eaton. He tries to attack her, but her guards hold him back. She has Four taken away while she orders Tris to be executed in a back alley. Before the villains can shoot her, they are shot by Natalie. She rescues her daughter, and Tris realizes that her mother was indeed a former Dauntless. They take their weapons to defend themselves. Will shoots at Tris and Natalie, and Tris has to kill him. She is upset that she had to do it, but her mother comforts her. More Dauntless members appear to shoot at Tris and Natalie as they make a run for it. They fight back, but Natalie is shot in the side and quickly dies. Tris holds her mother and cries. She goes to find her father and Caleb in a safe house. She cries to her father, mourning Natalie's death. Caleb mourns as well, having left Erudite after realizing their corruption. Tris tells them that the serum Erudite gave the Dauntless members is controlling them into attacking the Abnegation members; part of a plot to usurp control of government from the Abnegation faction. To stop this, they must infiltrate the Dauntless fortress. Tris leads them away. Tris guides Andrew and Caleb, and another fighter, to the train that takes them to Dauntless. They jump off the train onto the rooftop and down into the hole. Tris finds Peter and forces him to tell them where the fortress is after shooting him. The heroes encounter more controlled Dauntless members. Andrew shoots at them and kills them, but he is shot and also dies quickly. Caleb cries over his father, and Tris briefly mourns him as well. She continues moving until she finds the room with Jeanine and others, ready to complete the controlling of the Dauntless. all ready to kill many of the Abnegation members. Some of the Dauntless have already begun killing some Abnegation members off. Tris sees that Four has also been injected with the serum, controlling him to attack Tris. She fights back, but Four outfights her easily. Tris repeatedly tries to remind him who she is. She grabs a gun and points it at him, but then she turns it around to her own head. She continues to reassure Four, "It's okay, I love you." As Four takes hold of the handle of the gun, ready to kill Tris, she gently keeps his face turned toward her. This helps Four to fight back against the serum and throw off its effects. Four helps Tris fight off the villains. Jeanine tries to finish the process, but Tris throws a knife that pierces Jeanine's hand. Tris orders her to stop the process, and Jeanine refuses, saying she's willing to die for her cause. Four grabs a gun with a vial of the serum and puts it together. Jeanine snarls, "Guess you're not as Dauntless as you thought." Tris replies, "You're right. I'm Divergent." Four throws her the gun and she injects Jeanine with the suggestion serum, forcing her to release the Dauntless members from their control and then wipe the computer, erasing the program. After recovering from the serum and realizing what she'd been forced to do, Jeanine tries to attack Tris with her knife, but Tris knocks her out cold. Four reunites with Marcus, his father, and he is obviously uneasy. Despite this, both Marcus and Caleb join Tris and Four as they board the train heading out of Dauntless. Tris is sad over the loss of her parents and she still doesn't know where she belongs. Four says he does know. Tris narrates again, saying that they feel like the factionless, having lost their homes and loved ones. However, they will continue to fight if they must. The film concludes as the train takes them outside the city wall to Amity.

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Jerry Seinfeld Says the ‘Movie Business Is Over’ and ‘Film Doesn’t Occupy the Pinnacle in the Cultural Hierarchy’ Anymore: ‘Disorientation Replaced’ It

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Jerry Seinfeld is finally a movie director with the upcoming premiere of his feature debut “Unfrosted.” Backed by Netflix, the star-studded comedy is a fictional account of the creation of Pop-Tarts toaster pastries. In a new interview with GQ magazine , Seinfeld reflected on his experience jumping into moviemaking for the first time so late in his career.

“It was totally new to me. I thought I had done some cool stuff, but it was nothing like the way these people work,” Seinfeld said. “They’re so dead serious! They don’t have any idea that the movie business is over. They have no idea.”

Popular on Variety

So what, if anything, has replaced film? “Depression? Malaise? I would say confusion. Disorientation replaced the movie business,” he answered. “Everyone I know in show business, every day, is going, ‘What’s going on? How do you do this? What are we supposed to do now?'”

“I’ve done enough stuff that I have my own thing, which is more valuable than it’s ever been,” Seinfeld noted about his career outside the more-confused film industry. “Stand-up is like you’re a cabinetmaker, and everybody needs a guy who’s good with wood. … There’s trees everywhere, but to make a nice table, it’s not so easy. So, the metaphor is that if you have good craft and craftsmanship, you’re kind of impervious to the whims of the industry.”

“Audiences are now flocking to stand-up because it’s something you can’t fake,” he added. “It’s like platform diving. You could say you’re a platform diver, but in two seconds we can see if you are or you aren’t. That’s what people like about stand-up. They can trust it. Everything else is fake.”

“I don’t believe in regret,” Seinfeld said. “It’s arrogant to think you could have done something different. You couldn’t. That’s why you did what you did. But me and Jeff Schaffer and Larry were standing around, talking about TV finales and which we thought were great. I feel ‘Mad Men’ was the greatest. A lot of people like the ‘Bob Newhart’ one. ‘Mary Tyler Moore’ was OK. ‘Mad Men’ was the greatest final moment of a series I’ve ever seen. So satisfying. So funny. And they said that they had sat and watched the ‘Seinfeld’ finale, trying to figure out what went wrong. And it was obviously about the final scene, leaving them in the jail cell.”

“Unfrosted” streams on Netflix beginning May 3. Head over to GQ’s website to read Seinfeld’s interview in its entirety.

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‘Disappear Completely’ Review: Netflix’s Vicious Spanish-Language Horror Recalls ‘Drag Me to Hell’

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“ Disappear Completely ” may suffer from diminishing returns, but there’s an ironic pleasure in a movie about a cursed man losing his five senses one at a time that gets gradually worse as you watch it.

We meet our nauseating anti-hero at the scene of a picturesque accident; crushed by a light pole, a young woman in yellow bleeds beautifully. She’s evocative of Evelyn McHale (look it up!) and the photographer is quick to snap a front-page spread. It’s not until the local rag Santiago works for decides to edit the photographs that he takes explicit objection with the obviously immoral practice. When he’s summoned to the home of a local senator whose half-clothed body has been ravaged by rats, Santiago gets more than he bargained for as sensational pictures give way to an unimaginable revenge plot.

Co-written by Henain and Ricardo Aguado-Fentanes, “Disappear Completely” (AKA “Desaparecer Por Completo”) follows a formula that’s hardly overdone but manifests in tropes that will likely be recognizable to fans familiar with the genre’s typical approach to portraying dark magic. The script fails to find much to offer by way of compelling character development; Santiago’s girlfriend Marcel (Tete Espinoza) and ill-fated dog Zombie are perfectly interesting, just nothing to write home about. But what this twisted portrait of crumbling personhood lacks in earnest emotions it more than makes up for with a body horror that’s frequently subtle in execution but always brutal in conceit.

The filmmakers overplay their hand at times, distorting audio and visual elements to mimic Santiago’s decline but muddling some of the good work their actors have done in the process. Torres holds on particularly tight toward the end of the movie, doing his best to keep his performance from veering too far toward funny as the physical demands of his role ramp up and his dialogue falls to zero. Henain and Aguado-Fentanes could have helped their actor out by writing a more specific finale to what’s ultimately a better story in theory. Still, its skin-crawling presentation (you will feel, smell, and even taste a few scenes) and uniquely perverse consideration of a terrifying concept make it worth seeing.

You’ll want “Disappear Completely” to give you anything when it gives you quite literally nothing in the end. But with some memorably grisly moments and a star that’s committed to acting past his character’s spectacularly fucked fate, there’s plenty to enjoy while it lasts.

“Disappear Completely” is now streaming on Netflix.

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Jeanne du Barry review – Johnny Depp is a lumpen Louis XV in passionless period drama

Maïwenn directs and stars as an 18th-century French courtesan in this lacklustre tale of scandal and sexual intrigue at Versailles

T he illegitimate daughter of, according to this version of events at least, a cook and a monk, Jeanne (played by Maïwenn as an adult, and by model Loli Bahia as an adolescent) soon learns to monetise her God-given gifts, becoming the toast of 18th-century Parisian society as a celebrated courtesan. But the court of Louis XV (Johnny Depp, bewigged and appearing somewhat befuddled to find himself in a French-language costume drama) is less receptive to her specific skill set, and Jeanne is faced with open hostility when the king selects her to be his maîtresse-en-titre , or chief mistress.

Fuelled by sexual misadventures, grand scandals and gossip, feuds and aristocratic treachery, at the very least this picture, which Maïwenn directs as well as stars in, should be a robustly disreputable romp. But it’s a curiously inert affair: constrained, corseted, passionless and saddled with a lumpen, Depp-shaped deadweight where there should be a pulse-racing core of power and desire.

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