The Invisible Thread parents guide

The Invisible Thread Parent Guide

This tries to be a feel-good movie about families, but overdone acting and teen drug and alcohol use weaken its appeal.

Overall C-

Netflix. Leone, an Italian teen with two dads, is working on a documentary about his family when a real life plot twist throws their whole family into chaos.

Release date March 4, 2022

Violence B
Sexual Content C+
Profanity D
Substance Use D

Why is The Invisible Thread rated TV-MA? The MPAA rated The Invisible Thread TV-MA Language.

Run Time: 90 minutes

Parent Movie Review

For a year-end project in film class, Leone (Francesco Gheghi) is making a documentary of his family, which includes both of his dads, Paolo and Simone (Filippo Timi and Francesco Sianna). Also in the mix is his American surrogate mother, Tilly (Jodhi May), and his found-family Aunt Monica (Valentina Cervi). Despite the unusual configuration, Leone’s friend and project partner, Jacopo (Emanuele Maria Di Stefano) complains that the documentary feels a bit bland: what it really needs a plot twist.

A real life plot twist arrives with a vengeance. A lost phone shows Paolo that Simone has been unfaithful, and their relationship blows up over their anniversary dinner. As the men stew in bitterness and destroy each other’s possessions, they each decide that they need to know which one of them is Leone’s biological father. Each man swipes some of Leone’s genetic material for analysis, but the answer comes as a surprise to everyone…

How you feel about The Invisible Thread will partially depend on your beliefs around same sex marriages. If you hold traditional views, you will see this movie as normalizing gay marriage. If you hold contemporary opinions, you will be relieved that this movie normalizes gay relationships to the point that they are just as dysfunctional as heterosexual ones. These characters are all human: flawed and a little bit crazy – whether they are gay or straight.

Another factor that will play into your judgment of the film is its quality, and there it disappoints. The acting feels a trifle overwrought, with the exception of Francesco Gheghi’s portrayal of Leone. He gives us a normally sensible teen, level-headed, kind, and tolerant, who’s struggling with the meltdown of his family. Given his age, poor decisions are far more understandable than they are with his emotionally out-of-control fathers.

A bigger problem with the movie is its abundance of negative content. There are over five dozen swear words in the movie, most of which are sexual expletives. There is also frequent alcohol consumption and drug use, much of it underage. Teens casually use marijuana, ecstasy, and amphetamines, and behave recklessly while high. Characters of all ages smoke cigarettes. Sex, of course, is a theme of the film and there are jokes about masturbation and mention of a “threesome”. There are frequent scenes of people kissing – both straight and gay couples. There is also a scene of implied teenage sexual activity: the couple are seen undressing each other in bed and then the camera cuts away. Consent is clear but there is no discussion of contraception.

The Invisible Thread tries to be a feel-good film about the strength we find in families, but its festival of negative content makes it a difficult film to recommend. It contains several touching scenes but, frankly, I can’t get over the sense that this family is being held together by a teenager. And that’s just not his job.

Directed by Marco Simon Puccioni. Starring Filippo Timi, Francesco Scianna, Francesco Gheghi. Running time: 90 minutes. Theatrical release March 4, 2022. Updated

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The Invisible Thread
Rating & Content Info

Why is The Invisible Thread rated TV-MA? The Invisible Thread is rated TV-MA by the MPAA Language.

Violence:   Men tussle with each other. Main characters destroy each other’s possessions. A distraught teenager tosses stuff around his bedroom. Men push and shove each other.
Sexual Content:
Men kiss. Mention of surrogate motherhood. Women seen screaming in labor. Men are seen getting married. Joke about masturbation. A male figure is seen shirtless while dressing. There are mentions of affairs. There are descriptions of female breasts and sexual activities. A slang term for testicles is used. There’s mention of a “threesome”.  A guy kisses another young man. A young man and woman kiss and there are marks on his neck afterwards. Teenagers embrace on a bed and remove some of each other’s clothing: sex is implied. Two men are shown in bed together but without any sexual activity.
Profanity: There are over five dozen profanities, the bulk of which are sexual expletives, terms of deity, and scatological curses. There are also minor profanities and crude anatomical terms. A character makes a sexual hand gesture.
Alcohol / Drug Use: A student is stoned at school. A girl tells a student to bring weed to a party. Teenagers drink alcohol and smoke pot at a party. A teenager takes ecstasy and amphetamines.  Adults drink alcohol with meals. A teen smokes cigarettes at school. An upset adult smokes cigarettes. A distraught teen takes pills without knowing what they are.

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The Invisible Thread Parents' Guide

What are your beliefs about same sex marriage and adoption? How did you arrive at your opinions? Have you ever had a discussion with someone who had different beliefs? What did you learn from them?

What is the law in your country regarding same sex marriage and adoption?

Home Video

Related home video titles:

Movies about families who deal with same sex relationships include Summerland, Breaking Fast, Single All the Way, and Uncle Frank. Teens come to terms with their sexual orientation in The Half of It and The Prom.