How to Deter a Robber Parent Guide

While spending the holidays at the family cabin in northern Wisconsin, headstrong Madison (Vanessa Marano) and her boyfriend, Jimmy (Benjamin Papac), find themselves accused of robbery after investigating suspicious activity at their neighbor’s house. Now stuck at the cabin while the police investigate, Madison and Jimmy prepare themselves and the house in case they become the next victims in a string of robberies.

Dark comedy is not for everyone, and if that genre description automatically sets off alarm bells for you, you’re going to want to stay far away from How to Deter a Robber. Personally, I enjoy dark comedy most of the time, especially character driven ones, and this movie delivers on that front. The writers and the actors both supply more laughs than I expected. Vanessa Marano in particular shines as our main protagonist, delivering both humor and pathos. Somehow this film combines a coming-of-age story, a home invasion thriller, and a comedic romp into one weird but enjoyable package.

That all said, this production is rife with negative content, so a majority of viewers will likely be less entertained than I was. Of most concern to parents will be the amount of substance use by the young protagonists. Madison and Jimmy are 18 and they both drink alcohol in many scenes, and smoke marijuana at one point. Being 18 puts this content on the borderline of legality, depending on where you live, but the film is set in Wisconsin, where the legal drinking age is 21 and recreational marijuana is illegal, so I feel it necessary to point that out. Aside from illegal substance use, there is a high amount of swearing (including 25 sexual expletives), and a lot of guns being pointed at people. The climax of the film is surprisingly graphic, which was shocking after the comedic tone leading up to it. The movie has not been rated by the MPAA, but the profanity, violence, and drug use would push it into a Restricted rating.

Although I found the movie to be funny and well-acted, I can’t recommend it for most viewers. Illegal substance use, swearing, and violence will deter most audiences, regardless of the potential charm. It might sound like a quirky version of “Home Alone”, but its antics are definitely geared at older audiences. Let’s put it this way: Anyone too young to understand the meaning of “deter” is automatically too young for this movie.