Parents' Guide to

Four Lions

By Tom Cassidy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

British satire has terrorism, violence, strong language.

Movie R 2010 97 minutes
Four Lions Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 15+

Based on 1 parent review

doctora
doctora Parent of 6-year-old
July 7, 2022
age 15+

Provocative and thoughtful

This satire! Riz Ahmed! The stereotypes! The layers! This dark British satire hits a heckuva lot of marks in its desire to start a conversation on a topic that few move into willingly. The care and the style that the film exudes and the many layers of darkness...a great achievement. Even Cumberbatch in his brief role offers another complex layer to the storytelling. The film is humorous, outrageous and offers a lot to think about and ponder. Provocative and thoughtful.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In FOUR LIONS, wannabe terrorist Omar (Riz Ahmed) tries to lead a bumbling group of jihadists as they struggle to plot an attack.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

For a studio to fund a comedy about terrorists, they'd have to be certain it's going to walk one of cinema's thinnest lines and not succumb to any of the pitfalls too countless to mention. But with Four Lions, Britain's sharpest, most surreal satirist, Christopher Morris treads that line triumphantly, seamlessly delivering both a constantly laugh-out-loud comedy and a heartbreaking, chilling terrorist thriller. The cast are incredible, with leads Ahmed and Kayvan Novak both giving very different powerhouse performances. Waj (Novak) verges on ridiculous in his lack of comprehension, but his lost look is packed with pathos. Meanwhile, more intelligent family man, Omar (Ahmed) is utterly chilling, as he calmly discusses the moment he'll die in a suicide attack with his supportive wife and young son.

The twisted ideology of the jihadists is toxic, garbled garbage that plays in contrast to the Islamic characters' beliefs. But their actions are never downplayed as anything but deadly. The Western culture that helped spawn these ideas is also shown up, as is the clueless, out of touch British government and the police. The hilarious movie breezes by. But masterfully woven beneath the surface is a thick and complex web of ideas and searing commentary. It looks great, too. Morris mixes long 1970s zooms worthy of Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation with handheld shots, CCTV footage, and night vision, to create a heady ride that's static and steady, then explosive and, sadly, hyper-real. A modern classic, if only to show that no subject is off limits, if tackled the right way.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the strong language in Four Lions. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?

  • Discuss the violence in the movie. Was it shocking or thrilling? Did the fact that the movie had comedic elements impact how you felt about those scenes? If so, why? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?

  • Discuss the characters who want to be terrorists. Why were they so determined to defend their beliefs and cause harm to others?

  • Do you think all subjects are OK to satirize or should some things, such as religion, not be joked about? What use does satire serve?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: November 5, 2010
  • On DVD or streaming: March 8, 2011
  • Cast: Riz Ahmed, Kayvan Novak, Nigel Lindsay
  • Director: Christopher Morris
  • Inclusion Information: Middle Eastern/North African actors
  • Studio: Drafthouse Films
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 97 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: language throughout, including some sexual references
  • Last updated: June 2, 2023

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