Parents' Guide to

Focus

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Charming but uneven heist film is too sexy for young teens.

Movie R 2015 104 minutes
Focus Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 9 parent reviews

Yayo fun time
Yayo fun time Adult
April 15, 2020
age 13+

Age h

I think it is 13 years it probably 16+ because of the robing,and not to meat up with people you do not know

This title has:

Great messages
Katherine T.
Katherine T. Adult
May 29, 2017
age 16+

Ages 16 and up

See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In FOCUS, Nicky (Will Smith) is a renowned third-generation con artist who can convince anyone of anything. He has a vetted network of cons working for him, and he can work jobs big or small. One day at a posh hotel restaurant, he meets Jess (Margot Robbie), a young blond who unsuccessfully tries to run a con on him. Instead of getting angry, Nicky gives her some professional advice. Later, during a Super Bowl weekend in New Orleans, Jess tracks Nicky down and begs him to mentor her. He agrees, and he's amazed at her skills: She's a criminal genius. As he integrates her into his weekend of coordinated cons, they become lovers. He tells her his father's rule that "love has no part in the game" and lets her go without a real goodbye. But three years later, they bump into each other again in Buenos Aires, where Nicky's working on a huge con with the billionaire owner of a car racing team, Garriga (Rodrigo Santoro) -- who happens to be Jess' boyfriend.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9):
Kids say (14):

Focus isn't going to join Ocean's Eleven in the pantheon of great caper films, but that doesn't mean it's not a lot of fun. That's mostly due to the leads' ridiculous charm and the funny supporting characters who make several scenes appropriately tense but comical. It's easy to forget how good Smith is at comedy, and Robbie's timing is better than you might expect. But it's the scenes with their marks or their colleagues that are the best -- whether it's Nicky's hilarious right-hand man, Farhad (Adrian Martinez), or a rich gambling addict deliciously played by B.D. Wong. When the cons are doing their work, the movie is like a pick pocket's version of the Wolf of Wall Street -- you can't help but laugh as they steal bags, watches, wallets, and identities.

Ironically, the movie's biggest flaw is its own lack of focus, and the various twists and turns start getting a bit old and almost predictable by the climactic ending (if the audience "focuses" enough themselves, they'll figure out a key plot point). As Jess tells Nicky, "you saw what I wanted you to see" -- and in this case, it's a couple of "aha" moments too many. This is a fast-moving, shiny movie where you find out very little beneath the surface about any character or any theme. But, hey, it's still entertaining enough to make it watchable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about movies that humanize criminals. Do movies like these make you root for criminals? Is that OK? What makes a character sympathetic?

  • Do you think Focus glamorizes the lives of con artists? What does Nicky mean by quoting his father's edict that "love has no place in the game"?

  • Why is it so common for older men to have relationships with much younger women in movies? Smith and Robbie are 22 years apart. Conversely, why do so few movies show relationships between much older women and younger men?

Movie Details

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