We Need To Talk About Kevin

Recently, I came upon the trailer for the upcoming movie adaptation of the Lionel Shriver's novel "We Need To Talk About Kevin." It caught my attention for several reasons. First of all, I was surprised to see a movie had been made at all; I hadn't heard anything about it until the trailer was released. I just finished reading this book a few months ago, and although it took me a while to get into it, it was one of the most memorable (albeit disturbing) books I've ever read. It was a well-written book, yes. I could hardly put it down by the end, yes. And yes, it creeped the hell out of me. I guess I don't do too much reading to begin with, but I think this is the only piece of fiction (with the possible exception of a short story in my English course last term) that left me feeling legitimately unsettled. Here's the trailer:


Notice the quote "Stunning... a brilliant adaptation of my novel" -Lionel Shriver. A little weird to have in the trailer, no?

While I did enjoy the book, I'm not sure if I will see the movie, for a few reasons. Firstly, the book alone left me feeling mildly disturbed; I don't know if I want to see it on a big screen. Secondly, I don't feel like this is a movie that can be done justice through a movie adaptation. The main character of Kevin is described in such a vivid, disturbing way in the book that I think presenting him as one specific, tangible person (he's played by Ezra Miller) will take away much of the unimaginable, mysterious coldness that makes him so scary and unrelatable in the book. By this, I mean that there is a very high chance that Kevin's personality will be very hard to portray accurately on screen. While this is the case for many movie adaptation, Kevin's unusual personality is what essentially drives the whole story along. (although that line at 1:27... wow, creepy). As well, while I think Tilda Swinton will do a good job as Kevin's mother (although she's not how I imagined her), it irks me that John C. Reilly was cast as Franklin, her estranged husband and Kevin's father. If I were to see this movie, every scene with him, no matter how serious, all I will see is this. And this. I guess to me, he's just too similar to Will Ferrell in my mind. And I do not like Will Ferrell. Whether I'll see the movie or not, this movie adaptation fascinates me. If anyone I know sees it, I'll be interested to know what they think. (Also, if you haven't read this book yet, I recommend it. It is an intense read.)

Any thoughts about the trailer/movie/book? Lemme know below!