Parents' Guide to

All the Money in the World

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Violent but good thriller about corrupting power of money.

Movie R 2017 132 minutes
All the Money in the World Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 2 parent reviews

johnmat
johnmat Adult
February 16, 2019
age 15+

Really interesting movie with some tough scenes.

"All the money in the world" is a movie with an interestng plot based on true events. The acting is really good but there are some scenes with violence and really bad language. There isn't any consumerism nor sex scenes.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Stevie111
Stevie111 Adult
December 30, 2017
age 15+

All the Money In the World is intense and excellent

All the Money in the World is one of the best films of the year in my opinion. Ridley Scott did a fantastic job as director, and all of the actors were great as well. Everything about the film just impressed me. It was not slow at all. The whole film is intense, and there is some stronger violence including a character's ear being cut. There is strong language, too. I think older teens that can handle intense themes and violence should be okay. I highly recommend this film.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD, the grandson of tycoon J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer), teenage Paul Getty (Charlie Plummer), is kidnapped from the streets of Rome in 1973. The kidnappers demand $17 million in ransom, but Paul's divorced mother, Gail (Michelle Williams), doesn't have it. She appeals to the elder Getty, who refuses to pay anything. Instead, he spouts ideologies about how to be rich and making good investments to avoid the taxman. But he loves his grandson, so he puts his top security man, Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), on the case. At first, Chase determines that Paul might have had himself kidnapped on purpose to try to trick the old man, but then they learn that he's indeed in danger. Getty finally agrees to put up the highest amount of ransom he can that's still tax deductible, but it's not enough. So Gail gets desperate and comes up with a reckless plan to save her son.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (8):

Despite now-infamous last-minute tinkering, this fact-based tale emerges as a fine pulp thriller, bathed in director Ridley Scott's trademark visual richness and with a few real-world life lessons. In an unprecedented move, Scott decided at the 11th hour to replace all of the J. Paul Getty scenes filmed with previous co-star Kevin Spacey (who was accused of multiple acts of sexual misconduct) with Christopher Plummer. But there's no evidence of this rush job in the finished film. Plummer gives a great, truly sinister supporting performance in All the Money in the World as the man to whom a tax write-off is more important than family.

But the bulk of the movie belongs to Williams, who deals quietly with rage and panic and who's accused by reporters of not weeping enough. The younger Plummer -- no relation to Christopher -- is fine as Paul; his relationship with a sympathetic Italian kidnapper (French actor Romain Duris) helps his scenes come alive. Scott uses the Italian settings, the countryside, and Getty's palatial quarters as restricting places: They're spacious but lacking in freedom. As in Fellini's La Dolce Vita, the paparazzi are a constant, buzzing, attacking force here, adding tension at several turns. A few action-oriented set pieces, some chases and escapes, are close to masterful. It's not a perfect, or perhaps very deep, movie, but it's grippingly effective.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about All the Money in the World's violence. How frequent or strong is it? Is it meant to be thrilling or shocking? How can you tell? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • A character is shown to be abusing drugs and alcohol. How does he look and behave? Are there consequences for his behavior? Why does that matter?

  • Is Gail a strong female character? Is she a role model? Why, or why not? What about the other characters?

  • Why do you think J. Paul Getty wouldn't put up ransom money for his grandson? Does the movie let you understand his point of view? Does it make sense?

  • Did you know that Kevin Spacey had been replaced in the movie? How do you feel about that decision? How do you think Scott was able to make it happen so quickly?

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