Common Sense Media Review
Offbeat noir crime thriller has violence, language, and sex.
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Lucky Number Slevin
What's the Story?
In LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN, a man named Slevin (Josh Hartnett) leaves his unfaithful girlfriend and moves into a friend's New York City apartment. Soon, Slevin finds himself mixed up in a war between two criminal kingpins: the Boss (Morgan Freeman) and Schlomo (Ben Kingsley), who's also called the Rabbi. The two criminals despise one another, share a history of violence and revenge, and live in stunning penthouse apartments facing one another across the street. And they think Slevin is "Nick," who owes $96,000 in gambling money. Before you can say "North by Northwest," Slevin is faced with impossible choices. The Boss invites Slevin-as-Nick to erase the debt by killing Schlomo's gay son (retaliation for a previous murder). All the while, mysterious assassin Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis) has the ear of both the Boss and the Rabbi, and it's anyone's guess how this tangled web of deceit will play out.
Is It Any Good?
This proudly clever crime thriller sets up a range of characters who collide, often to gruesome effect. At the center of Lucky Number Slevin is the title character, played by the scruffy-haired (and frequently shirtless) Hartnett, who slyly squints at the camera, inviting you to guess what he's thinking. At a train station, Mr. Goodkat tells Slevin a story about cheats, killers, and gamblers, with a lesson on what he calls the "Kansas City shuffle," which he describes thusly: "It's when everybody looks right and you go left." Check. Lucky Number Slevin is a caper movie, with tricks and turns and characters who aren't who they seem.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the complicated relationships in Lucky Number Slevin. How would you describe the bond between Goodkat and Slevin? What about between Slevin and Lindsey? Are these healthy bonds, or are they toxic? Can a relationship be both?
How did you feel about the amount of violence in this movie? How would the story change if there was less killing and blood? Do you think you would enjoy it more, or less?
How did the characters' frequent swearing affect your viewing experience? Did it make Lucky Number Slevin more, or less, enjoyable?
Even though the main characters are White men, there are several Black and Jewish characters in Lucky Number Slevin. Do you think this makes the film inclusive? Or does it matter more how their characters are handled? Does this movie seem inclusive to you? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 7, 2006
- On DVD or streaming : September 12, 2006
- Cast : Bruce Willis , Josh Hartnett , Morgan Freeman
- Director : Paul McGuigan
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Weinstein Co.
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 109 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violence, sexuality and language.
- Last updated : January 14, 2025
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