Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Hell or High Water

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Excellent, relevant crime drama has language, violence.

Movie R 2016 102 minutes
Hell or High Water 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 10 parent reviews

BlitzGuy20
BlitzGuy20 Parent of 9-year-old
March 6, 2022
age 13+
Hell or High Water is a modern western film following two bank robbers. The film contains some violence, brief sex and language. VIOLENCE: MODERATE This isn’t an extremely violent film, but at moments the violence can be a bit strong. A man is pistol whipped in the head making a wound on his nose. A man has his head slammed against a car door forming a dent before he is punched in the face several times and falls to the ground. During a botched robbery, a guard is repeatedly shot in the chest (from a distance) causing some blood to appear on his shirt before another man is suddenly shot in the head at close range (blood briefly shown) this scene is pretty suspenseful and probably the most violent scene in the film. A man is shown with a bullet hole in his side, he wraps duct tape around it. A man is suddenly shot in the head (mostly bloodless) before we see a bloody bullet hole and brain matter in his hat. A man is sniped in the head from a distance, some blood is shown spraying out and later a bullet hole is shown as well. LANGUAGE: MODERATE 32 uses of "fuck", 18 uses of "shit", 11 uses of "damn", and 9 uses of "hell." 1 use of "titties," 1 use of "pecker," 1 use of "piss," and 17 combined uses of "bitch" and "bastard." SEXUAL CONTENT: MILD A brief sex scene depicting a man and a woman having sex out of focus behind another man who is trying to sleep, they are both clearly nude and the woman is grinding against the man, however any graphic detail or nudity is cut off from the blur and the scene lasts only a few seconds.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
James Hedrick
James Hedrick Adult
January 31, 2022
age 17+

A High Quality Modern Western

Hell or High Water is a quality film from screenwriter Taylor Sheridan and his Oscar nod was well deserved. It features memorable and impressive performances from Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham. It is an engaging story and a nice change of pace back to the older more contemplative westerns of the past. The film does blur the lines between right and wrong with the protagonists being bank robbers and there is also some brief but intense violence and language. Not everyone will love this film but I did and highly recommend it for those who still appreciate a slow building, character driven western.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In HELL OR HIGH WATER, brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) live in a run-down, hardscrabble Texas that's been devastated by the economic crash of 2008. Tanner has spent a good portion of his life in jail, and Toby is divorced, with two sons and a lot of unpaid alimony. Their family ranch is about to be foreclosed on, so they make a plan: They'll rob banks and steal just enough to pay their debts. Unfortunately, Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges), who's just days away from retirement, and his partner, Alberto (Gil Birmingham), take the case and head out into rural Texas to track the Howard brothers down. Everything leads up to a desperate showdown, with every man protecting what's his.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (8 ):

Vivid, resonant, and brimming with life, this is a great genre movie, a film noir tapping into the uncertainties of our times, crossed with a modern Western chronicling a new brand of lawlessness. Hell or High Water captures a hardscrabble world devastated by the failing economy, where everyone is armed and there's a kind of respect for everyone except bankers. It's an alien world but also familiar. It's easy to imagine that all the characters have lives that go on after their scenes are finished.

Australian director David Mackenzie (Starred Up) brings a kind of barren beauty to the movie, and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan (Sicario) allows time to wonder about what the characters think and how they feel about what's going on. It's about more than thrills. Bridges and Foster are especially good, finding wiggle room between their lines for some truly exceptional acting. This is recommended for any adventurous, mature movie fans.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Hell or High Water's violence. How does it make you feel? Why? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • How are guns portrayed in this movie? Who has them, and how are they used? Do you think they represent anything?

  • How is drinking shown in the movie? Are there consequences? Is drinking glamorized?

  • Does the movie have any "good guys" or "bad guys"? Who were you rooting for? Is it OK to have characters with shades of gray?

  • Why are so many businesses closed -- and so many people struggling -- in this story? What happened? How does it tie in with real-life events?

Movie Details

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

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

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