Parents' Guide to

Athlete A

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Thorough docu about U.S. gymnastics abuse scandal.

Movie PG-13 2020 103 minutes
Athlete A Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

cami098
cami098 Adult
August 17, 2020
age 13+

very informative

this is a documentary very true to its pg 13 rating. the whole topic is about sexual abuse in gymnastics, so people with sensitivity to this topic should be aware.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

ATHLETE A is a documentary that tells the story of the gymnasts and newspaper reporters who helped bring Larry Nassar to justice for the sexual abuse of hundreds of young gymnasts. As team doctor for USA Gymnastics, Nassar violated these gymnasts under the pretense of exams or treating injuries, and when gymnasts spoke out, their comments were covered up by an organization more concerned with winning gold medals and "selling the brand" of wholesome, all-American athletes to sponsors than with the health and safety of the young athletes under its care. "Athlete A" is in reference to Maggie Nichols, a gymnast who was a rising star in USAG but was dropped from the 2016 U.S. Olympic team after reporting Nassar's abuse in 2015. Around this time, reporters from the Indianapolis Star began looking into allegations against Nassar and how USAG encouraged a policy of not reporting allegations when gymnasts and their parents demanded answers. As more gymnasts begin speaking out to the reporters, criminal investigations begin, and the audience sees how Nassar's sexual abuse was part of a culture in which coaches beloved by the sports media were physically and verbally abusive and officials simply looked the other way.

Is It Any Good?

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

While the terrible story of how USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar sexually abused hundreds of young female gymnasts is known, this documentary shows how a broken system allowed it to happen. As the central story of young gymnasts like Maggie Nichols (the "Athlete A" who spoke out about the abuse she suffered while training to compete in the 2016 Olympics) and her parents demanding answers unfolds, Athlete A deftly balances the forward momentum of the story with backstory and context. The sickness of a USAG culture that demanded winning and "selling that brand" over everything and everyone else is brought into a painfully vivid focus, and one of the takeaways is the shocking lengths USAG coaches and officials went to, enabling the abuse in the interests of maintaining USAG's squeaky-clean image of all-American goodness for lucrative sponsorship deals.

This is also a story of bravery, and Athlete A shows the risks these young gymnasts took and the sacrifices they made in bringing Nassar's abuse to light. Athlete A also serves as a reminder of the importance and necessity of dedicated journalists and solid investigative reporting, now more than ever. And like the best sports documentaries, Athlete A forces us to examine the larger culture beyond the headlines, and how an organization could become so obsessed with being number one and getting deep-pocketed sponsors that all values of basic human decency were cast aside.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about documentaries. How did Athlete A use different techniques to provide the facts and context of the story?

  • How is this movie a great example of how documentaries can dig deeper into a story than, say, a news report?

  • In a time when journalists and journalism are routinely criticized by people in power, how does this documentary show the importance and necessity of quality investigative journalism?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate