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Choke

(2008, Rated R, Comedy, Starring Anjelica Huston, Joel Grey, Kathryn Alexander)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 17, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 17.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Adults-only sex comedy is shocking but shallow.

Why We Rated This not for kids

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The lead character is a schemer and scammer who fakes choking in restaurants so that the people who rescue him might help him financially and emotionally. Extensive depiction and discussion of sex addiction; extensive depiction of an elderly patient in the throes of Alzheimer's disease; extensive discussion of religious imagery and concepts, including a character's belief that his mother had him generated from the DNA found in a bizarre religious artifact. A character's mother, in his youth, abducted him from a series of foster homes. Extensive discussion of religious imagery and themes.

  • Violence:

    Scuffling and some fist-fighting. A consensual rape fantasy includes a woman being held at knifepoint.

  • Sex:

    Constant discussion and depiction of sex and sex addiction, with graphic images and depictions on screen. Characters engage in compulsive sexual behavior with a variety of partners; there's extensive and near-constant nudity. Discussion of molestation, fetishes, sex toys, sex acts, masturbation, and more. Several scenes are set at a strip club; many others take place at a 12-step meeting for sex addicts. Two characters ineptly enact a consensual rape fantasy.

  • Language:

    Constant strong language including "damn," "hell," "f--k," "s--t," "bitch," "ass," "dick," "boned," "hooker," and more.

  • Consumerism:

    A few brands visible, including Tab and Hostess Sno-Balls.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Characters drink beer, wine, and hard liquor. Characters hang out in bars and smoke. A doctor says that a character's Alzheimer's may be exacerbated by years of substance abuse.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Choke

Parents need to know that this extremely mature comedy based on a novel by the author of Fight Club isn't for kids in any way. Every scene includes or deals with sex, nudity, sexual situations, and sexual acts. There's extensive nudity, and a few scenes depict sexual activity in unflinchingly graphic fashion. There's also drinking and lots of strong language (including "f--k" and "s--t"), and while the film ultimately has a message of redemption, the lead-up to that moment is filled with rough, raw content and images.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the nature of extreme satirical comedy. Is this movie intended to be over the top? How can you tell? What messages is it sending about sex and relationships? This movie was adapted from a novel by the author of Fight Club; what do this movie and Fight Club have in common? Families can also discuss the challenges of caring for an aging parent, as well as why people engage in compulsive behaviors.
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    courtie
    Lives in Kansas
    I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it 5.0

    Just as good as the first adaptation,

    Fight Club was an amazingly done book-to-movie, and Choke is right up there with it. Well made, excellent dialogue.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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