Parents' Guide to

Heat (1995)

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Criminal, police face off in bloody '90s action-adventure.

Movie R 1995 172 minutes
Heat (1995) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 7 parent reviews

Jonathan L.
Jonathan L. Adult
May 22, 2021
age 13+

Excellent movie, ignore Barbara's (reviewer) review...

Amazing movie. Excellent amount of details, world building, multiple great action sequences with slow build drama & suspense between. Very accurate on military-style tactics. Movie focuses on a cop and a criminal, both are the best at what they do. Seminal movie, became an instant classic when it was released. Highly recommend it. Definitely ignore the baseless 2-star review from Common Sense Media's Barbara (reviewer), apparently she doesn't like well made, tense movies that go on to influence a generation of film-making.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
2 people found this helpful.
CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
November 18, 2020
age 2+

Michael Manns best

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Police lieutenant Vincent (Al Pacino) solves a murderous bank robbery and brings on the HEAT as he lays in wait for the ringleader, Neil (Robert De Niro), and his crew to make their next moves. The cop comes to respect the criminal, who is as exacting and professional in his illegal undertakings as the cop is in his detective work. In pursuit of their individual kinds of excellence, both shortchange their personal lives and immerse themselves in violence and loss.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7):
Kids say (12):

At nearly three violent hours, this movie embodies the term "overkill" on many levels of meaning. Director Michael Mann brings too much of everything -- bodies, blood, plot complications -- to his rumination on the oft-cited observation that cops and criminals are alike, separated only by the law. By the third hour, thoughtfully paralleling the overly complex life of a master criminal with that of a master cop devolves into improbability and a lack of logic. The killer, cold-blooded and smart through the first two hours, turns incredibly sentimental and stupid, allowing himself the luxury of bloody revenge, which seals his own unfortunate fate. Heat takes far too much time to bring De Niro and Pacino together for the first time in their long careers, but their two scenes together do sparkle.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the relationship between police officers and the criminals they pursue. Do they have to think like criminals to catch them? How is that relationship portrayed in Heat?

  • Under what circumstances might a police officer come to respect a criminal he or she is tracking?

  • Do you think very smart criminals could do well in legal ventures if they attempted to go straight? Why, or why not?

  • Do you think this movie is still relevant, or does it feel dated? Why?

Movie Details

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