Common Sense Media Review
By Jordan Elizabeth
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
White woman terrorizes Black neighbors in unsubtle drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Karen
What's the Story?
In KAREN, Imani (Jasmine Burke) and Malik (Cory Hardrict) buy a home in a suburban neighborhood where the majority of residents are White. Their White neighbor, Karen (Taryn Manning), quickly begins waging a campaign to force them to leave. She installs surveillance cameras that point directly into their home, chastises them for not adhering to the homeowners' association policies, and accuses them of being a poor influence on her children, among other manipulative tactics. When they refuse to be intimidated and vow to stay in their home, Karen enlists the help of her brother, a racist cop named Officer Wind (Roger Dorman). Wind has a record of racially motivated violence against Black people and decides to frame Malik for marijuana possession. With both Karen and Wind terrorizing them, Imani and Malik must decide whether to surrender -- or to fight back.
Is It Any Good?
Karen is a kitschy representation of a very real threat: White women who are aware of their Whiteness and weaponize it. Manning plays the stereotypical "Karen," who's entitled, righteous in her racism, and convinced that her way is the right way. And Dorman plays his part, "racist White cop," with very little subtlety -- using phrases like "these people" and referring to Malik as a "boy." Even Hardrict and Burke's characters are drawn from stereotype: They have African art on the walls, smoke pot, and are sexualized throughout the movie. Like many of the popularized Karen memes, Karen displays the unbelievable lengths that some White women will go to in order to establish and maintain their superiority. Those memes, however, depict actual Karens. Fictionalizing this behavior, while satisfying and affirming to the experiences of many, runs the risk of creating a cartoon villain out of a real-life one.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Karen handles the topic of police brutality. How does it compare to other movies you've seen that address that issue?
Does Karen expose viewers to the threat of a "Karen," or turn the idea into a joke? Is there a risk in laughing at topics like this?
How does the violence in this movie compare to what you might see in an action movie? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 3, 2021
- On DVD or streaming : September 3, 2021
- Cast : Taryn Manning , Cory Hardrict , Jasmine Burke
- Director : Coke Daniels
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Quiver Distribution
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 7, 2021
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
Suggest an Update
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