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Parents' Guide to

Concussion

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Football is the villain in earnest but predictable drama.

Movie PG-13 2015 123 minutes
Concussion Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 15+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 13+

It's an ok movie.

A football player is shown tasering himself in the thigh, and it is said he pulled out his own teeth and superglued them back in. A graphic surgery scene. Photos of a dead woman's hands, which look mangled and bloody. Some swearing.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
age 18+

Another upsetting movie

I liked at review and said nothing about blaspheme. Usually it will say ALL the curse words, apparently not in this case. Movie was good until they blaspheme the Lord then its over for me!! Sad that they can't just make a move without speaking blaspheme against our Lord!!

This title has:

Too much swearing

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (7 ):

There's much to admire about this film: the story, the man behind the story, the great care it takes to tell its story. For this alone, Concussion deserves to be seen. But there's something that also feels removed about the film, preventing it from achieving greatness. Start with Omalu himself, who's rendered graciously by Smith (including a flawless Nigerian accent) but who also comes across as inhumanly perfect, which prevents him from being multi-dimensional. The script doesn't allow him much latitude for depth, despite the inclusion of a romantic life. Ditto for Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who gamely brings to life a fairly superficially written character.

The science behind the discovery of CTE is fascinating, but the players who are destroyed by it are even more so, and they unfortunately don't get enough time on-screen. It might have worked better had the film taken more of its time telling their stories and taken fewer detours into topics like Omalu's tensions with an unsupportive, insecure colleague. Concussion is good but not great.

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