Parents' Guide to

John Dies at the End

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Oddball horror/fantasy has gore, fake drugs, monsters.

Movie R 2013 99 minutes
John Dies at the End Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Michael R.
Michael R. Adult
August 10, 2017
age 18+

Homoerotic, pro-drug, bullying spree.

I wrote a 2 page review on this but my phone crashed . The review title covers my main concerns. Contrary to other reviews : There is excessive nudity but no actual sex. Unless you consider homosexual petting as a sexual position . Juxaposing this graphic imagery was the mockery of the sacred : Places of worship , sobriety , pet care, logic, lawfulness, respect towards your fellow man , diplomacy, turn signals , capitalism , etc. Playing the movie out of order only added to the convoluted mess .

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
pirateman
pirateman Adult
June 27, 2014
age 12+

A Fun movie

This movie was not only funny but perfectly okay for children wanting to see a grown up movie. So if you have a 12 year old I recommend this!
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

After a prologue in which a zombie is beheaded and an axe is repaired, David Wong (Chase Williamson) speaks to a reporter (Paul Giamatti) in a Chinese restaurant, documenting his strange story. David's friend John (Rob Mayes) has taken a new street drug called "soy sauce" that lets users see and know things -- but they also experience fearsome side effects like creepy monsters. John frantically calls David for help, and David accidentally takes the drug, too. This sends them both on a crazy adventure that involves a professional magician (Clancy Brown), a lost dog, and a giant creature from another dimension that may be looking to take over the Earth. Are David and John up to the challenge? And will John really die at the end?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (5):

Viewers who can give up all their preconceived notions and go along for this wild ride will have a fun, memorable time -- as long as they're ready for the extremely mature content. Cult director Don Coscarelli -- maker of the Phantasm series and Bubba Ho-Tep -- usually brings unhinged imagination and bizarre humor to his horror movies, which probably leads viewers into not taking him very seriously. JOHN DIES AT THE END doesn't change that at all. It's a loony, oddball, trippy, clumsy, illogical, outlandish, gory slice of "what the heck is going on?" with distant echoes of Brazil, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Naked Lunch, and other films of that ilk.

The movie's detractors so far have focused on the approach to adapting of the novel, the sub-par visual effects, and the idea that the film fails to keep up its level of craziness: It's either too crazy or not crazy enough, according to different critics. But all of this misses what's actually there in the movie; it establishes during the "riddle" of the first two minutes that nothing can be nailed down or relied upon.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about John Dies at the End's bloody, gory, over-the-top violence. What effect does it have? Does the movie cross the line? If so, where/how?

  • Would you consider this a horror movie? Is it scary? Which parts are scary as opposed to funny?

  • What does it mean to be a "cult" movie or novel? What's the appeal of this strange, off-kilter style of writing and filmmaking?

  • How much does it matter if John Dies at the End has a "logical" plot that can be easily followed? Can it be enjoyable otherwise?

Movie Details

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