Destroyer Parent Guide

Destroyer stars Nicole Kidman who through some miraculous transformation in the make-up department, emerges as Erin Bell, a grizzled and worn-down LAPD homicide detective. Bell struggles to work with her fellow officers and is worried about the poor choices her 16-year-old daughter Shelby (Jade Pettyjohn) is making. However, when a dye-pack marked banknote arrives on her desk, Bell embarks on a quest for revenge that will expose a dark history of undercover work, bank robbery, and murder. Will Detective Bell be able to keep herself under control or will she become just as dangerous as the criminals she pursues? And will she be able to elude the dark shadows of her past long enough to catch her quarry?

As the grades suggest, this is obviously not a film for children or teens, and fully deserves its Restricted rating. Profanity is off the charts, with 180 curse words in a 121 minute movie, including a mind-boggling 140 sexual expletives. (One wonders how the writer managed to fit in any other dialogue in the screenplay.) This production is also extremely violent with numerous scenes of shootings and vicious beatings. Victims are shown bruised, bleeding and in pain, when they aren’t dead. However, violence is not glamorized in Destroyer. The movie is a tragedy, not a how-to guide and it is made very clear that crime does not pay. It also raises important questions about living with guilt and the difficulties of parenting. Characters are shown facing the consequences of poor life decisions, and these are frequently severe. If there was ever a film to make a life of crime unappealing, this is it.

The strongest part of the film is Kidman’s mesmerizing performance. Reminiscent of Charlize Theron’s turn as real life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, Kidman is equal parts captivating, horrifying, and tragically vulnerable. While the plot is a paint-by-the-numbers cops and robbers revenge thriller, Kidman’s performance makes this one of the most gripping films of the year, and one of the most interesting movies about bank robbery since 1995’s Heat.

The soundtrack also stands out. Composed by Theodore Shapiro (who you may remember from his French café sound in A Simple Favor), the soundtrack to Destroyer sounds more like Johann Johannsen’s work in Sicario and is deep and frightening.

Destroyer is a captivating thriller, with enough twists and tragedy to keep you firmly in your seat for its two-hour runtime. The movie doesn’t feel rushed, but the snappy pacing means that you don’t realize how much time has passed until credits roll. Adult viewers with strong stomachs and an appreciation for this genre are likely to enjoy the film. Moviegoers looking for family friendly fare will definitely want to look elsewhere for an evening’s entertainment.