Parents' Guide to

99 Homes

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Great, if downbeat, indie drama deals with moral conflict.

Movie R 2015 112 minutes
99 Homes Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

age 13+

Its 13+

Don'l let kids under 13 wacth it

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (2):

Acclaimed indie filmmaker Ramin Bahrani, who regularly and bravely focuses on heartbreaking trials of life while keeping his stories rooted in humanity, turns in some of his finest work here. A drama of great power and subtlety, 99 HOMES manages to talk about one of today's most pressing and troubling issues without getting preachy or overbearing. At the same time, the movie borrows the classical structure of the Faust story while still managing to feel immediate and relevant.

Perhaps it's this merging of the classical and modern that makes the movie work so well -- or maybe it's the impressive performances. Shannon has rarely been used so well, with his sinister, snaky countenance and his weird charm crossing paths. And Garfield is both commanding and heartbreaking. Certain moments (losing the home) beautifully capture a kind of short-of-breath panic and others (earning dirty money) a kind of sickening elation, but all of it is remarkably immediate -- and remarkably human.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: September 25, 2015
  • On DVD or streaming: February 9, 2016
  • Cast: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern
  • Director: Ramin Bahrani
  • Inclusion Information: Middle Eastern/North African directors
  • Studio: Broad Green Pictures
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 112 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: language including some sexual references, and a brief violent image
  • Last updated: October 15, 2022

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