Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Copshop

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Over-the-top, gory violence in fun B movie shoot-'em-up.

Movie R 2021 109 minutes
Copshop Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

mlsschrls
mlsschrls Adult
February 8, 2022
age 14+

Too Dark (lighting)

you can’t see anything in the movie. the lighting is just terrible. its so dark you can’t even see the actor's faces at times. poor quality.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In COPSHOP, a well-dressed man named Teddy (Frank Grillo) drives a shot-up police vehicle until it overheats. In front of a casino, he punches police officer Valerie Young (Alexis Louder) and demands to be arrested. Soon after, a drunk driver is brought in and locked up in the cell across from Teddy's. It turns out that he's Bob Viddick (Gerard Butler), who's been sent to kill Teddy. As Valerie pieces together what's happening, more chaos unfolds at the police station. A sly, talkative assassin named Anthony Lamb (Toby Huss) shows up and starts killing cops, and a crooked cop (Ryan O'Nan) who's been stealing drugs from the evidence room is desperate to cover his tracks. Things take an even darker turn when Valerie is shot and must decide who to trust: Teddy or Bob.

Is It Any Good?

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

Filled with fun, pulpy characters, Joe Carnahan's bloody crime tale relies on increasingly ludicrous story developments, but its wild momentum carries it through and makes it all easy to forgive. Re-teaming with Grillo immediately following their entertaining Boss Level, Carnahan adopts a Tarantino-y approach to Copshop, using one location in a tight, effective way and painting the characters in bold, broad strokes, quickly defining them before the shooting starts. The characters are an interesting mix of types: big city and small town, high and low, decent and shady.

Grillo seems to be having the most fun, disappearing into his character's wardrobe, impressive hairstyle, and sly voice. But Huss steals the show as the assassin with a genteel Southern accent and a psychopath's crackle. Meawhile, Louder's Valerie Young is the movie's real hero, and she doesn't let that go to waste. She displays courage and quick wit without ever becoming dull. She's a cool gunslinger we'd like to see again. In the end, Copshop isn't much more than an extended (and much bloodier) Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon, but it has enough sheer energy to careen through its 109 minutes without wearing out its welcome.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Copshop's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • Does Valerie Young provide positive representation? What are her attributes? Her flaws? Does someone have to be perfect to be considered a role model?

  • What makes a thoroughly evil character like Anthony Lamb so interesting?

  • What does the "play gunfight" scene have to say about the characters? How does the movie engage with Americans' love of guns?

  • How are drinking and drugs portrayed in the movie? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

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

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