Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Tarantino's slavery tale is uneven and brutal but brilliant.
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Django Unchained
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 31 parent reviews
Based on 104 kid reviews
Kids say this film is a brilliantly crafted but extremely violent portrayal of slavery and revenge that combines dark humor with graphic brutality. Many reviews stress that its excessive use of profanity, racial slurs, and disturbing scenes make it unsuitable for young children, recommending it instead for mature teens who can grasp its historical context.
- graphic violence
- heavy profanity
- mature themes
- historical context
- dark humor
- not for children
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In the mid-1800s, bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) tracks down a slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) and buys him -- promising him freedom later -- so that Django can help identify Schultz's next target. The two become partners and friends and eventually embark on a dangerous quest to rescue Django's wife (Kerry Washington) from a plantation owned by the brutal Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). To gain access, the duo must pose as potential investors in a "Mandingo fighting" racket. But Candie's devoted old slave, Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), quickly catches on to the truth. Can Django and company escape with their lives?
Is It Any Good?
Oddly, the rather blank, stoic Django is the least interesting character in this violent, somewhat uneven film. In his previous film, Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino told a masterfully sprawling story of WWII, bending history willy-nilly to find a more truthful center. DJANGO UNCHAINED is even longer and more sprawling but with a much simpler story and themes. It doesn't quite fit. The movie has long, flabby stretches that scream for the cutting-room floor, while the bursts of violence often feel outsized and misplaced.
But occasionally the movie unexpectedly slips into brilliance. These moments are mostly centered around talking and negotiating, which also explains why the quiet hero doesn't always work. But actors Waltz, DiCaprio, and Jackson are all mesmerizing on more than one occasion. Somehow, Django Unchained finally manages to raise some interesting questions, mainly about slavery and how it has historically been depicted (or not depicted) in movies.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Django Unchained's brutal violence. Why do you think Tarantino chose to make the violence so intense and bloody? What effect does it have on the movie overall?
How does the movie depict slavery during the pre-Civil War era? What does this movie show that other movies set during that period don't show? Do you think it's exploitative, or will it get meaningful conversations started?
Why do you think actors are attracted to these kinds of vicious roles? What's appealing about them?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 25, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : April 16, 2013
- Cast : Christoph Waltz , Jamie Foxx , Kerry Washington , Leonardo DiCaprio
- Director : Quentin Tarantino
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Weinstein Co.
- Genre : Western
- Topics : History
- Run time : 165 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong graphic violence throughout, a vicious fight, language and some nudity
- Awards : Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner , NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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