I Came By parents guide

I Came By Parent Guide

The premise should provide lots of tension or social commentary but settles instead for bland boredom.

Overall C-

Netflix: A young graffiti artist discovers a shocking secret in the basement of a respected judge; secrets that put himself and his loved ones in danger.

Release date August 31, 2022

Violence C
Sexual Content B
Profanity D
Substance Use D

Why is I Came By rated TV-MA? The MPAA rated I Came By TV-MA for language, violence, and smoking.

Run Time: 110 minutes

Parent Movie Review

A pair of ambitious young graffiti artists, Toby and his friend Jay (played by George Mackay and Percelle Ascott) have made a name for themselves by breaking into the homes of the rich and unpleasant and spray-painting “I Came By” on the wall. Now Jay’s girlfriend, Naz (Varada Sethu) is pregnant, and Jay wants to go straight – something Toby is unwilling to consider. So Toby charges off alone to their next target, the home of retired High Court judge Sir Hector Blake (Hugh Bonneville). His determination to vandalize the place is replaced with terror when he finds a hidden room in the basement, seemingly containing an unwilling captive. Although he manages to get out of the house without running into Blake, Toby has a dilemma: How can he rescue whoever is down there without calling the police? And how can he make the police believe him without confessing to a host of other crimes?

Despite an intriguing premise, this film struggles to find a sense of direction. The material should provide lots of opportunities for tension or revulsion or social commentary, but rather than exploring any of those elements, the plot ricochets randomly between them without allowing any time for analysis deeper than recognition. It feels like the script set out on an ambitious premise with a shiny cast and no clear map for how it intended to get from the beginning to the end.

While the directionless wandering is frustrating, the performances from the main cast are quite good. George MacKay is showing some range beyond the shellshocked young soldier who made him famous in 1917, and Percelle Ascott and Kelly MacDonald both do solid work. The only reason to watch this movie that I can think of, though, is Hugh Bonneville, who manages to be both startling and menacing without gnawing on the scenery. He’s not exactly the next Hannibal Lecter, but he’s what the film needs to stay watchable. Besides, it’s not nice to compare people to Anthony Hopkins.

This is definitely a film for adults, thanks to the slower approach to the story and the frequent profanity, occasional drug use, and implied brutality. While most of the violence happens off-screen, I Came By is still unlikely to be a winner with younger audiences. But even for adults, like bologna flavored ice-cream or extended visits from the in-laws, there are few combinations as resoundingly unsuccessful as a dull thriller. The oxymoronic juxtaposition between the film’s tense ambitions and its snooze-worthy reality make this a thoroughly frustrating experience – one which even the relentless posh-ness of Hugh Bonneville can’t mend.

Directed by Babak Anvari. Starring Kelly Macdonald, George MacKay, Hugh Bonneville. Running time: 110 minutes. Theatrical release August 31, 2022. Updated

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I Came By
Rating & Content Info

Why is I Came By rated TV-MA? I Came By is rated TV-MA by the MPAA for language, violence, and smoking.

Violence: A character is slapped. There are references to an unsuccessful suicide attempt. A body is seen and is dismembered and burned off-screen. A person sustains a bloody injury to the face. A character is cut with a knife.
Sexual Content: Several men are seen shirtless. There are references to extramarital affairs.
Profanity: There are 18 sexual expletives, seven scatological terms, and occasional uses of mild curses and terms of deity.
Alcohol / Drug Use: Adult characters are seen smoking tobacco and cannabis, and also drinking socially.

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I Came By Parents' Guide

How does Toby react when he finds the captive in the basement? What other options do you think were available to him? What would you have done in his place?

Home Video

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Speaking of Anthony Hopkins, the actor played a similarly unsettling character in Fracture opposite Ryan Gosling. Other films about criminals shielded by wealth and influence includeThe Lincoln Lawyer, Motherless Brooklyn, State of Play, and Inheritance. This film has some strange similarities to Don’t Breathe, which is a fairly terrible film.