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Parents' Guide to

Escobar: Paradise Lost

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Powerful performance in violent movie about drug lord.

Movie R 2015 120 minutes
Escobar: Paradise Lost Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

age 18+

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Is It Any Good?

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

Apparently loosely based on a true story, Andrea Di Stefano's thriller features a commanding performance by Benicio Del Toro and creates some gripping moments. But it's also a bit too conventional to be truly electric. Before long, it becomes apparent that ESCOBAR: PARADISE LOST is following in the footsteps of the Oscar-winning The Last King of Scotland (as well as The Freshman, which took a comic turn on a similar story) -- both films center on innocent youths becoming enthralled with great, evil power.

So, rather than telling a story about Escobar and his unique relationship with wealth, power, and influence, the movie becomes about Nick waving guns and running for his life. Still, despite some rudimentary screenwriting shortcuts, Di Stefano provides many small moments and a rich atmosphere that help the characters spring to life; on the whole, the movie is fairly gripping.

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