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Secret in Their Eyes (2015)

A tight-knit team of rising investigators, along with their supervisor, is suddenly torn apart when they discover that one of their own teenage daughters has been brutally murdered.
16
Negative Rating
12345
SexLanguageViolenceDrugsNudityOther
0
Positive Rating
12345
FaithIntegrity

Dove Review

“Secret in their Eyes” is a suspenseful story that features some fine actors, such as Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The audience will feel sympathy for Julia Roberts’ character, Jess, whose daughter is murdered. Her friend Ray (Ejiofor), a former F.B.I. agent and now private detective, works hard to locate the suspect and make sure he is arrested. But a serious problem lies in the way: the suspect is also a “snitch” for Martin Morales (Alfred Molina), the district attorney in L.A., who is fighting terrorism and doesn’t want his counter-terrorism man messed with, even if he did commit a murder. The only other thing on Ray’s mind, other than finding the murderer of Jess’ daughter, Carolyn, is getting closer to present-day District Attorney Claire Sloan (Kidman). The story flashes back and forth between 2002 and 2015.

Despite an interesting and suspenseful story, it takes a real turn and ends with an unusual twist, which doesn’t really work well. The ending in some ways negates a lot of what took place beforehand in the film. At any rate, the film contains strong language and violence, and we are unable to award it our Dove Seal for family viewing.

Dove Rating Details

0
Faith

None

0
Integrity

Violent images include a man getting rough with a woman before he rapes and kills her; woman is choked; woman's body is found in a dumpster, and there are bruises and some blood on her face; people are shot and killed; a man rips a woman's blouse and cleavage is visible; a man presses a heavy weight to a man's throat to threaten him; a man punches a co-worker and bloodies his nose; a man is punched over and over and has a bloody nose; a dog is kicked, but the violence is audible and not visible; a character breaks glass in anger; man is punched and kicked in ribs; shot fires, and a man is buried.

2
Sex

Images of a man forcing himself on a woman, who is obviously raped before she is killed; a woman has feelings for another man, although she is married; man stares at woman's cleavage; man exposes himself (not shown) and brags about the size of his genitals; an erectile dysfunction joke; a comment referring to masturbation.

5
Language

GD-4; J/JC-4; Ch*ist-1; G/OG-2; F-1; S-5; H-9; S.O.B.-4; A-4; D-2; B-2; Moron-1; Geez-1; P.O.-1; A comment about female genitalia but using the appropriate term.

3
Violence

Violent images include a man getting rough with a woman before he rapes and kills her; woman is choked; woman's body is found in a dumpster, and there are bruises and some blood on her face; people are shot and killed; a man rips a woman's blouse and cleavage is visible; a man presses a heavy weight to a man's throat to threaten him; a man punches a co-worker and bloodies his nose; a man is punched over and over and has a bloody nose; a dog is kicked, but the violence is audible and not visible; a character breaks glass in anger; man is punched and kicked in ribs; shot fires, and a man is buried.

2
Drugs

A bar scene; a man has a beer and a woman has wine; cigarette smoke in the air.

2
Nudity

Cleavage is visible when a woman's blouse is ripped; short skirt on corpse; a photo includes a woman's cleavage.

2
Other

Strong tension and arguments between characters; scene focuses on a man's back while he urinates; man sits on toilet, but the scene is not graphic.

More Information

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Reviewer
Edwin L. Carpenter
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