Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, language in gritty South African cop movie.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
iNumber Number: Jozi Gold
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In INUMBER NUMBER: JOZI GOLD, Chili (S'Dumo Mtshali) is an undercover cop in Johannesburg trying to bust an illegal gold dealer who goes by "the Hyena Man." When the deal goes awry, Chili and his relatively straitlaced partner, Shoes (Presley Chweneyagae), find their careers hanging by a thread and are demoted to the basement to work with older White detective Van Zyl and his team of fellow Boers who are close to retirement age, much to the chagrin of Chili and Shoes. However, Chili and Shoes learn that they can help Van Zyl, who has a 100% arrest record on his cases, as they try to infiltrate a gang that pulls off elaborate gold heists and gives their money to the poor. Once again, Chili goes undercover, but after meeting the "Gold Gang," he learns about their Robin Hood ways. The gang plans to rob the son of the dictator of Lesotho, who has nationalized that gold mine due to the dictator's greed and at the expense of the poor citizens who work the mine. As Chili gets deeper into the case, Shoes tries to talk Chili into staying on the side of the law. Chili must choose between what's right and what's legal, and somehow find a balance between the two in the face of so much corruption and poverty.
Is It Any Good?
This is an entertaining South African take on the modern-day cop action movie. iNumber Number: Jozi Gold uses a fair number of conventions and clichés of action movies -- the dynamic of the "loose cannon" cop paired with his straitlaced opposite being the most obvious -- but in spite of this, what emerges is a story that explores the idea of how what's right isn't always what's enforced by law and the system, especially in post-apartheid South Africa.
As a bonus, the movie offers a window into the many cultures of Johannesburg and the vast divide between rich and poor. It's an action movie filed under "gritty and stylized," but it also has a depth often lacking in action movies like these -- in both the story and the themes. And while there is a laundry list of action movie clichés that the viewer can check off while watching, the quality of the story and the movie as a whole tend to outweigh these clichés.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about action movies like iNumber Number: Jozi Gold. How is this similar to and different from other action movies you've seen?
The movie is set in Johannesburg, South Africa. How do aspects of Johannesburg and South African culture emerge in the movie and even drive aspects of the story? How does this make it different from similar action movies centered on cops and robbers?
Was the violence excessive, or was it necessary to the story? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : June 23, 2023
- Cast : S'Dumo Mtshali , Presley Chweneyagae , Israel Makoe
- Director : Donovan Marsh
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 110 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : July 6, 2023
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