Safe HavenMovie Reviews

No
Avg. Critic Score: 34 out of 100 Generally unfavorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
14 OK for kids 14+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    Miami Herald | Connie Ogle

    A sentimental romantic thriller. But it’s a well-made sentimental romantic thriller, and that makes all the difference. Read full review

  • 50
    The Hollywood Reporter | Stephen Farber

    A thriller element that has not been present in earlier Sparks movies is designed to draw reluctant male viewers to see the picture, but they won’t respond with the same enthusiasm as his core audience of woozy romantics. Read full review

  • 50
    San Francisco Chronicle | Peter Hartlaub

    It's Valentine's Day! Unrealistic romantic expectations are in the air! And Safe Haven does the unrealistic romance thing pretty well. Read full review

  • 50
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Tirdad Derakhshani

    Not one of Sparks' best flicks (The Notebook is quite good) Safe Haven is marred by film cliches. It has an alarming number of throwaway montage sequences. Read full review

  • 50
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    The picture-postcard location of Southport, N.C., is the film's strong suit. Read full review

  • 50
    Chicago Tribune | Michael Phillips

    I like Duhamel, and in her first straight-up dramatic role Hough does well enough, though her singing and/dancing career thus far has trained her to oversell, as opposed to sell, as opposed to act naturally. Read full review

  • 50
    New York Post | Sara Stewart

    Adapting the author’s cornball formula for a second time around is once-ambitious director Lasse Hallström (“Dear John”), who delivers a cinematic valentine you’ll be reasonably content to watch on a flight in a year or so. Read full review

  • 40
    New York Daily News |

    Duhamel is goofy and harmless, but unlike Ryan Gosling in “Notebook,” adds no texture or subtlety. Hough (“Footloose”), while photogenic, is similarly bland. Read full review

  • 38
    Boston Globe | Tom Russo

    A movie that passably ambles along in generic-melodrama mode before finally insulting audience intelligence one time too many. Read full review

  • 0
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    I hate Safe Haven. It's a terrible thing to do to your Valentine. Read full review

View more reviews for Safe Haven on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 14+ Predictable romantic drama deals with pretty heavy themes.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that Safe Haven (based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks) is a romantic, at times suspenseful drama that's heavy on cliches and formulaic plot twists and light on chemistry and inventiveness. While the romantic stuff is pretty tame for teens, save for one session in bed that reveals bare shoulders, the film does deal with heavy subjects such as death and spousal abuse. One character clearly has an alcohol problem (he's shown drinking while driving), which colors his decisions at work and at home. He also turns violent, resorting to guns and worse. There are also scenes with a destructive fire and a bloody knife, as well as some swearing ("s--t" is the worst of it).
  • Families can talk about how Safe Haven portrays relationships. Parents, talk to your kids about the signs of unhealthy (and even abusive) relationships.
  • Is this a typical damsel-in-distress movie? If so, in which way? If not, how?
  • Discuss Katie's decision in the beginning of the movie: Did she have any other recourse?
The good stuff
  • message true3 Positive messages: Safe Haven's message is heartwarming to the core: Surround yourself with kind, good people, and you can emerge from the darkness that you may find yourself in. But you also have to learn to trust and give to others.    
  • rolemodels true3 Positive role models: Katie is resilient and resourceful and doesn't shy away from the hard work of rebuilding her life. Alex doesn't let his grief overwhelm his ability to be a good father.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Some suspenseful/intense moments. A man stalks a woman; he also tries to choke her and roughs her up. Later, he points a gun straight at her and brandishes it around. A fire consumes an entire building and threatens the lives of three people in or near it. A boy slips on a boat and hits his head, nearly drowning. A woman is shown with a bloodied knife in her hand and stabbing a man with it.
  • sex false2 Sexy stuff: A couple is shown presumably having sex under the covers, but viewers see only their bare shoulders. Some passionate kissing.
  • language false3 Language: Infrequent use of words including "s--t," "hell," "crap," "damn," "goddamn," "oh my God," and "for Chrissakes."
  • consumerism false1 Consumerism: Logos for Chevrolet, Jeep. The Roxy clothing brand is mentioned during a shopping scene.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: One character is an alcoholic who drinks vodka while driving. He's violent while inebriated. Some beer drinking at social events.
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Exclusive Features

Valentine's Day Movies Valentine's Day Movies Check out Valentine's Day movie options for you and your sweet to indulge in. Exclusive Cast Interview Julianne Hough on challening scenes, Josh Duhamel on soaking in Southern traditions, Cobie Smulders on working in a humid environment and the cast shares first date advice, including what James Caan told Duhamel.