Watch Kids' Reviews of
STRINGS

A surreal film. It starts like a musical, with mom and daughter skating together on a frozen lake and singing. Both are talented singers. When the girl loses faith in her ability to skate after not landing a jump, she is disheartened but tries again. This time she slides on the ice until she disappears into another dimension. Slowly the daughter figures out that she is still with her mother but cannot see her, now she must find her way back. The special effects are interesting and the story is engaging - though unreal and dream-like.

Strings is appealing as it 'lets you into the world' of teenagers who are trying to find their way from childhood into adulthood. It shows the challenges they face and the activities that they engage in the absence of adult supervision. This is mostly in their conversations while eating as they have a sexual conversation amongst themselves freely - one of them says that he had a girlfriend which sparks the curiosity of his other friends as they want to know what happened as this is new territory to them. There's also a scene where one of the boys who's left by himself in his house and watches a video from an adult site. Another girl's mother asks her to take photos of her for Tinder, which is something that happens in this era.

The story follows a group of teenagers from all walks of life and families who bond because of their board skating hobby. These teenagers are all dealing with different things in their personal lives ranging from absentee parents, always arguing parents, and trying to keep up with their parents' love lives. They are adventurous and sometimes put them in dangerous positions. It ends in suspense as one can't really tell what happens at the end, which leaves the viewer wanting more and wishing for a better outcome.

A teenager would enjoy this film as they can relate to most of the activities happening throughout. Everything in this film has been experienced by teenagers in many corners of the world. They may resonate with the actors. There is a scene where one of the kids' guardians is walking using crutches and, if an audience member has a loved one using these, they won't feel as if they are the only one with such a person in their life. The scene where one kid is left alone in his house and a neighbor is sent to check up on him could resonate with a kid who is in the same situation and maybe they will find solace in that. The girl whose mother asks her to take photos of her for Tinder is something that happens in this era.

The film is above average - it is realistic in how it depicts everyday life of teenagers. These teens are dealing with different things in their personal lives and they always have their headsets on to block some of the unpleasantness. The most outstanding thing about the film is its unpredictable nature. The ending and the beginning are so in sync yet not so subtle. It has an original storyline and nothing is cliché throughout the entire film. All the actors play their roles fairly well. The camera work is serviceable and keeps up with the characters' pace; for example, there is a part where we can't see the characters skating and you assume it's the camera person trying to keep up with the speed of the skaters. Other than that it's clear and meets film quality standards. The audio is perfect throughout the film. The costumes and music are good. The music and sound effects put you in the mood of the occurring scene and makes you feel a part of the film. The locations used for different scenes are fairly good. Some parts of the film contain mature language, serving as a warning for parents regarding its suitability for younger audiences. It is most suitable for audiences for teens.

It uses vocabulary suitable for its target audience. For example there's a scene where one of the boys hints on having intimate relations with a girl and his friends want him to tell them more about the experience. There's also one instance when another boy is home alone and he is watching some adult film before receiving a call from his father telling him he won't make it home that night. That basically is a pretty predictable depiction of any teenage boy. There is also the scene where there are two of them that seem to be dating as they are always together, even cuddling, and in one scene the boy gets jealous as he watches his girlfriend holding another boy's hand while being taught how to jump on the skateboard and he goes off to sit and watch from a distance. You can tell his mood changes from that. Most teenagers that age are dating in the outside world.

I give Strings 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. Some parts contain mature language. By Gloria J., KIDS FIRST!

A mother and daughter end up in two different dimensions as the result of an ice skating accident.