Common Sense Media Review
By Alistair Lawrence
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sloppy war satire has swearing, violence, and materialism.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
How to Fake a War
What's the Story?
In HOW TO FAKE A WAR, press officer, Kate (Katherine Parkinson), creates a fake war story that her client, global megastar Harry Hope (Jay Pharoah), can seemingly "stop" with his humanitarian work. But things quickly get out of hand as people from different sides believe the story to be real.
Is It Any Good?
A flimsy story filled with clichés, this movie limps through its 84-minute runtime as though it's sustained a battlefield injury of its own making. The characters' motivations frequently change to aid the plot. Sisters Kate and Peggy (Lily Newmark), in particular, alternate between being at odds and working as a team, moving past one major revelation about their relationship as quickly as it has been dumped into the story.
The dialogue is hampered with labored exposition, which leads to How to Fake a War 's attempts at humor falling flat. This is despite efforts to use jokes to shine a light on how the media and celebrities can attempt to exploit worthy causes to their own ends. The plot is largely implausible, too. The footage shot by Kate and her colleagues is unconvincing, while the movie's portrayal of foreigners as rural "simpletons" manipulated by cynical Brits and Americans is as lazy as it is dated. All in all, this is one "fake news" story that's unlikely to go viral.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the portrayal of the media in How to Fake a War. How does Kate try to manipulate the media for her clients? Should we believe everything we read and see? How to spot "fake news."
Discuss the effects of war in the movie, as well as the violence seen -- both real and fake? Did the fact the movie is a comedy effect the impact of the violence? How to talk to kids about violence, crime, and war.
Talk about the language used in the movie. Does it seem necessary or excessive? What does it contribute to the story?
What does the movie have to say about celebrity endorsements and charity work? Why are some people skeptical about the reasons for rich, famous celebrities engaging with worthy causes? Is it fair to criticize celebrities for this?
How does Kate and Peggy's relationship change over the course of the film? Why are relationships with loved ones often more complicated than we expect? Talk about your own family relationships and how you might improve them.
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : August 7, 2020
- Cast : Katherine Parkinson , Lily Newmark , Jay Pharoah
- Director : Rudolph Herzog
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Vertical Entertainment
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 84 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : January 30, 2023
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