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Righteous Kill

(2008, Rated R, Thriller, Starring Robert De Niro, Carla Gugino, Al Pacino)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 16.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Old pros battle brutal vigilante, muddled story.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    A serial murderer justifies behavior by killing only those who have escaped punishment and "deserve it." Cop is seen as heroic when he frames a known murderer for something he didn't do.

  • Violence:

    Lots of images of point-blank shootings, resulting in bloody deaths; a woman is attacked and beaten by an unseen assailant as she enters bathroom; bloody face of dead 10-year-old girl is revealed; close-range shoot-out between two cops and drug dealers; priest is shot while taking confession; baseball brawl between adult males; beating and kicking of handcuffed suspect by police.

  • Sex:

    Woman appears to be object of stalker and is grabbed from behind -- but then consensual sex begins off-camera; "rough" sex glimpsed briefly once from a distance; sexual innuendo in male-female police banter.

  • Language:

    Constant cursing from beginning to end. Nonstop use of multiple forms of "f--k," "s--t," "a--hole." One racial insult.

  • Consumerism:

    Heinz ketchup seen in foreground.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Several instances of social drinking; one character smokes; a young woman snorts cocaine in nightclub bathroom.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Righteous Kill

Parents need to know that from the very first scene at a police target range to the final sequence in which the killer is revealed, this crime thriller is all about guns, bullets, body count, serial murders, bloody victims, and vigilantism. The killer is on a crusade to administer "justice" in cases in which the legal system has failed. Victims are shot at point-blank range in several sequences, and language is consistently crude and harsh. The limited sexuality between two adults is loveless and highlights "rough" sex. A young woman snorts cocaine in a nightclub bathroom.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about why movies that show frustrated people taking matters into their own hands appeal to audiences. What's the difference between a superhero punishing criminals and a more realistic movie in which ordinary citizens act as judge and jury? What are the positives of having a judicial system that gives criminals rights to a fair trial, presumption of innocence, and due process? What are the negatives of this system?
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