THE RETURN
A spooky, minor thriller best reserved for discerning adults at home.
Should You Watch It?
THE RETURN has more mystery and atmosphere than its low-profile release might suggest. Its central idea—being haunted by trauma from the past—leads to a poignant ending, positive moral aspects, and a resolution in which a vicious murderer receives justice.
But the film remains a minor, forgettable thriller. Its spooky situations and supernatural elements come with brief foul language, sexual content, violence, and repeated scenes of women being stalked or attacked. The occult nature of the visions is minimized, but the material still requires serious discernment.
Because the film received two stars and a −2 Family Content rating, it is better saved for discerning adults who can manage its content at home. The practical answer: wait for home, and keep this one for adults only.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAs a little girl, Joanna visits a carnival with her father after a car accident and seems to be stalked by a man connected to what happened.
Years later, Joanna is a driven saleswoman in St. Louis who returns to Texas for a special assignment. There, visions of a car accident, a stalker, and a dead woman draw her toward the small town of La Salle, where an older man named Terry is connected to the mystery.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means THE RETURN is occasionally effective but ultimately a minor work. It offers plenty of mystery, a generous amount of spooky situations, and a poignant ending. The film is more interesting than many cheap thrillers, but it remains unspectacular and likely to be forgotten quickly.
Its supernatural mystery is handled in a restrained way, with the heroine's visions eventually receiving a naturalistic explanation. The story resolves its mysteries and frees Joanna from her nightmarish visions, but the movie does not rise above its modest ambitions.
The Worldview
THE RETURN presents a mixed pagan worldview with light moral and occult elements. Joanna experiences visions of a murdered woman, possible poltergeist activity, and an unclear allusion to possession. Yet the film minimizes the occult nature of the visions and ultimately explains Joanna's supernatural connection with the dead woman naturalistically rather than overtly Christianly, anti-Christianly, or occultly.
The film's moral center comes through love: Terry's love for his dead wife and Joanna's father's love for his daughter. It also treats the consequences of violence seriously, gives a vicious murderer his just deserts, and portrays the release of Joanna and Terry from past trauma in poignant terms.
The movie's central longing is freedom from what happened in the past. Scripture speaks to that hope: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Mixed pagan worldview with some light moral and occult elements about a woman having visions of being stalked and woman sees images of a murdered woman and there is possible poltergeist activity in one scene, and oblique reference to being a different person that could indicate some unique form of being possessed but not in the usual way in which possession is usually meant; five obscenities (including one “f” word), three strong profanities and one light profanity; some scary violence such as man tries to force himself on woman but another man comes and pulls him off and then beats him in the street before people pull the hero off the would-be rapist, girl accidentally cuts herself with broken glass, implied self-inflicted knife wound, a few repeated images of woman being attacked and stabbed (but nothing very graphic), woman has visions of being stalked, man stabbed, woman holds knife against her stomach, men fight, men grab and drag women, car crashes into another car that is stopped, truck plunges off ravine and into small stream, and man punches another man in the throat; brief sexual content includes woman has confused vision of a man passionately kissing her while they're lying down, and she turns into the man's dead wife in a vision of some past incident, plus man tries to force himself on woman but is pulled off before anything salacious happens; no nudity; alcohol use; smoking; and, stalking, traumatized woman cuts herself, woman is a little estranged from her father because of a mysterious past trauma that has changed her, competitive salesman threatens saleswoman, and woman enters empty house after knocking and getting no answer.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Joanna and Terry are both haunted by trauma from the past. What helps people face painful memories without being controlled by them?
Psalm 34:18 · Philippians 3:13–14The film connects healing with love between family members and spouses. How can love bring comfort to someone who is suffering?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Galatians 6:2The story includes stalking, threats, and attacks against women. What responsibilities do people have when they see someone being harmed?
Proverbs 31:8–9 · Micah 6:8The movie gives a murderer justice and Joanna freedom from her visions. How do justice and mercy belong together?
Micah 6:8 · Romans 12:19The Final Word
THE RETURN has an effective mystery, spooky atmosphere, and poignant moral notes, but its two-star quality and −2 content rating make it a poor family choice. Discerning adults who remain interested should wait to watch it at home. Our answer is WAIT FOR HOME — ADULTS ONLY. For safer family viewing, see.
