The Way Back Review

Messages: The characters may be prisoners (and some of them do seem violent and dangerous), but they quickly learn to work together, help each other, and trust each other to overcome their nearly impossible challenges. There are plenty of examples of teamwork and empathy here.

Role models: Main character Janusz is the strongest role model. At one point, another character warns that "kindness can kill him," but Janusz proves that he can hang onto his humanity and his kindness in the most trying of circumstances. He'll risk his own safety to help others, and his example inspires the others. Plenty of sharing and working together to overcome the odds.

Violence: Disturbing imagery relating to both prison and wilderness survival. Characters are starving and thirsty, exhausted and dirty. Teeth fall out, feet are bleeding and/or swollen, and characters get sunstroke. Other brief violence involves a stabbing with a knife and some blood. A character freezes to death. There's a spoken story about a main character strangling a boy.

Sex: Very brief but strong sexual imagery. One of the prisoners makes drawings of naked women in various poses and trades them for supplies.

Language: Language is infrequent but includes more than one use of "f--k," plus sparing use of "s--t," "damn," and "ass."

Consumerism: Not an issue

Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters trade cigarettes in prison, but there's little actual smoking. In one scene, characters share a bottle of vodka around a campfire.