London Fields

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
London Fields Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 17+

Rotten characters in violent, racy, unappealing neo-noir.

R 2018 118 minutes
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age 16+

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that London Fields is an unpleasant neo-noir thriller, based on a novel by Martin Amis, about a woman (Amber Heard) who has a premonition that one of three men is going to kill her. She seduces, kisses, and has sex with three different partners (and kisses a fourth). She wears several sheer, revealing outfits; her breasts are visible through one of them, and her bottom is shown. Other naked bottoms are also shown. Viewers will see many sex-related images and hear explicit sex talk. Language includes many uses of "f--k" and "s--t," plus "c--t" and more. A man bashes a woman in the head with a blunt object. Characters die, including by suicide. Characters fight and argue. Cigarette smoking is rampant; characters drink frequently, often to excess; and there's a psychedelic drug trip scene.

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What's the Story?

In LONDON FIELDS, femme fatale Nicola Six (Amber Heard) has a premonition of her own murder at the hands of one of three men. One is terminally ill American writer Samson Young (Billy Bob Thornton), who's come to London to do one more book; he decides to tell Nicola's story. She, meanwhile, begins affairs with the two other potential murderers: clean-cut, wealthy, married family man Guy Clinch (Theo James) and scuzzy, volatile would-be darts champion Keith Talent (Jim Sturgess). Talent owes tons of money to gangsters like Chick Purchase (Johnny Depp). As Nicola twists the men around her little finger, the situation becomes more unstable, and her murder appears imminent ...

Is It Any Good?

Based on a novel by Martin Amis, this shabby, wildly uneven neo-noir is a total mess, coasting on the surface of several cartoonish characters as they interact without rhyme, reason, or purpose. Directed by music video maker Mathew Cullen, London Fields is partly stylish, mainly in the opulent apartment occupied by Samson, and in the many slinky, stunning outfits worn by Nicola, but it's mostly scraggy and nasty-looking in a very unpleasant way. The characters occupy the unrealistic spaces uneasily, and none of them even seem to be human, let alone possess the ability to connect with any of the others.

As Samson works on his book, there's talk about whether Nicola will be a one-dimensional character -- and, in the movie, she actually is, along with everyone else. Her actions are purely based on her looks and charms. There never seems to be a point, and nothing else happens. At least Heard is a decent femme fatale. On the other hand, Sturgess overacts horribly in his role, looking like a walking scab, his mouth perpetually open in a scowl to reveal yellow teeth and a flicking tongue. Even scarred, accented Depp is subtler (and that's rare). As if unsure of what else to do, Cullen throws in a dance sequence (set to the tune of Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing"), followed immediately by an FX-driven drug-trip sequence. None of it comes together.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how London Fields depicts sex. Does it seem based in love/respect or not? How can you tell? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

  • What does sex mean in this movie? Is it power? Does it have anything to do with trust and tenderness?

  • How much violence is shown? How strong is it? Does it feel shocking? How does the movie achieve this effect?

  • How are drinking, drugs, and smoking portrayed? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences for their use? Why does that matter?

Movie Details

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