Shadow of a Doubt
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 13+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
A girl named Charlie is thrilled when her favorite uncle comes to visit. Then she starts to think he is hiding a terrible secret. She has to be brave and smart to keep her family safe. It is an old black-and-white thriller for teens and grown-ups. Hitchcock called this his favorite of his own films, and it is a sharp lesson that evil can be charming and can sit at the family table. Young Charlie sees the truth and stands against it almost alone. Almost nothing is shown. The guidance is for the ending, where the town honors the dead man and the truth stays hidden.
For parents
For teens and up. No Catholic classification or Common Sense Media age could be fetched, so this age is Lumen's own call from the IMDb content guide. On screen there is little: a struggle on a train, a fall to death, a girl nearly killed by exhaust fumes. The dread is the point, and it is strong. Things to frame: Uncle Charlie talks about widows as animals not worth keeping alive. Name that for what it is, contempt for human life. At the end the town praises him at his funeral and Charlie keeps his crimes secret to protect her family. Ask: was she right to stay silent? Who is owed the truth? How did Charlie know something was wrong when everyone else was charmed? Why is evil often likable at first?