Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Tubman biopic includes realistic violence, racist slurs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
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Harriet
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 22 parent reviews
Parents say this film is a powerful and poignant portrayal of Harriet Tubman's life, with exceptional acting and a gripping story, but it contains strong language and violence, making it unsuitable for younger children. While many viewers find it inspiring and important for discussions about American history and racism, they generally recommend it for ages 12 and up due to its intense themes and mature content.
- strong performances
- intense themes
- for older children
- promotes discussions
- historical significance
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 52 kid reviews
Kids say this film is both powerful and educational, featuring a strong depiction of Harriet Tubman as a courageous, faith-filled woman who fights against the injustice of slavery. Numerous reviewers noted the film's heavy use of offensive language and violence, which may not be suitable for younger viewers, leading them to recommend it primarily for those aged 12 and up.
- powerful portrayal
- strong messages
- inappropriate language
- intense violence
- educational value
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
HARRIET starts during a Sunday church service for enslaved workers at the Maryland plantation where Araminta "Minty" Ross (Cynthia Erivo) lives with her free husband, John Tubman (Zackary Momo), and her family, including her free father, Ben Ross (Clarke Peters). When Ben and John plead with Master Brodess (Mike Marunde) to abide by his dead father's wishes to free Ben's wife and her offspring after a certain age, Brodess balks. Minty, who suffers spells that she believes are divine visions, begs God to strike down her enslaver. Brodess dies, and his son, Gideon (Joe Alwyn), decides to sell Minty. She escapes, leaving John behind, and finds her way up to free Philadelphia. Once in Pennsylvania, Minty renames herself Harriet Tubman and trains with prominent abolitionists like William Still (Leslie Odom Jr.) to become a fearless conductor on the Underground Railroad. Harriet returns time and time again to rescue both loved ones and complete strangers and guide them to freedom, all while Gideon Brodess hires mercenaries to track and capture the "Moses" who's helping local enslaved people escape.
Is It Any Good?
Erivo's intense, nuanced performance is an achievement, but the filmmakers' insistence on sanctifying Tubman makes an already powerful film unnecessarily melodramatic. Really, every role that the Tony Award winner takes on should include singing, because Erivo's voice is a thing of fierce and startling beauty. As it did in the fields where enslaved workers toiled and along the Underground Railroad, music plays an important role in the film. Kudos to director Kasi Lemmons for the sequences of Harriet's coded spirituals and the early moment in which actor-singer Jennifer Nettles (who plays Brodess' widow) sings along to the opening church service. If only Odom Jr. and Janelle Monáe (who's brilliant in a small but pivotal role as Harriet's Philadelphia friend/boarding-house landlord) could have sung on-screen, too.
The cast is wonderful and the movie's story is important, but Harriet suffers in its exploration of Tubman's condition. Lemmons and co-writer Gregory Allen Howard portray her traumatic brain injury as leading to actual divine prescience. The film credits that supposed skill with her ability not only to turn the right way and avoid capture (she never lost anyone she guided to freedom) but also to see the future -- like the time and place of a White man's death while fighting for the Confederacy. Tubman did believe that her visions were inspired by God, but Harriet's focus on her spells as supernatural turns the film into a case for her sainthood and near invincibility rather than concentrating on the ongoing bravery and clarity of purpose she required to continue returning down South. The film is definitely worth seeing, but a little less about the visions and more about the woman would have made it even more powerful.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the historical aspects of Harriet. How much did you already know about Harriet Tubman? What new facts did you learn? Did anything make you want to do more research?
What are the character strengths that make Harriet Tubman a role model? Why is she an important inspiration to Americans?
Discuss the violence and racist language in the movie. Is it necessary to the story? Why is it important for viewers to understand the violent nature of enslavement?
How is this movie different from, or similar to, others that explore the subject of racism and the history of enslavement in the United States? How does the stain of enslavement continue to impact the country? What are some other films that shed light on the far-reaching impact of this horrible practice?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 1, 2019
- On DVD or streaming : January 28, 2020
- Cast : Cynthia Erivo , Janelle Monáe , Leslie Odom Jr.
- Director : Kasi Lemmons
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Bisexual Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Non-Binary Movie Actor(s) , Pansexual Movie Actor(s) , Queer Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Focus Features
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Integrity
- Run time : 125 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic content throughout, violent material and language including racial epithets
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : January 26, 2026
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