Structure

The movie We Need to Talk About Kevin directed by Lynn Ramsay follows a non-linear structure. The film opens with a series of confusing images and sounds from a scene from the past which acts as the climax. Then, instead of following a straightforward sequence of events, the story jumps back and forth in time from Eva’s life in the present to her memories of her life with her family. This helps create a sense of mystery and keeps viewers engaged as they piece together the puzzle of Eva's life and Kevin’s impact on it.

The two main timelines are presented in a largely chronological order. The past timeline follows Eva’s life before having kids and the beginning of her life as a mother and Kevin’s childhood and teenage years. In this way, the movie provides a comprehensive look at Eva and Kevin’s development and their impact on one another. The present timeline follows Eva’s life in the aftermath of Kevin’s crime, showing a stark contrast between Eva’s life in the past and the present and leading the audience to wonder what happened that caused it to change so drastically. 

In this way, it can also be said that the film is made up mainly of flashbacks. The present narrative is brief, s...