Parents' Guide to Love and Fury

Movie NR 2021 93 minutes
Love and Fury movie poster: Above title an illustration shows many Native American musicians, poets, and artists singing, playing instruments, and speaking

Common Sense Media Review

JK Sooja By JK Sooja , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Showcase of Native American artists has language, addiction.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

In LOVE AND FURY, many different and diverse Native American artists, musicians, writers, performers, and activists are followed for a year. They show their work, talk about their communities and purpose, and share their struggles and triumphs.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

The art, music, and performances of these Native American artists are compelling, powerful, and emotional. So much of the work that Love and Fury shows off is worthy of attention and deeper analysis. Director Sterlin Harjo (co-creator of Reservation Dogs) deftly bounces around between various locations (New York, Paris, Albuquerque, and Plymouth, England) in order to follow dozens of Native American visual, music, and performance artists trying to survive in their post-colonial worlds, and worlds that have too often tried to erase their history or colonize it. Giving voice to legacies of historical trauma, decades of unfair governmental and cultural treatment, and issues of identity and power, this documentary effectively works by simply allowing artists to have their voices and speak their truths.

The way the film bounces around between so many artists can, however, feel a little rushed, like a whirlwind too eager to touch each and every space. Because of this, it's sometimes hard to follow who is who, and without any literal thread between every place and person, some of the film feels unfocused. But it's still worth it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about conveying positive messages in documentaries. How does Love and Fury promote integrity, perseverance, and communication?

  • What is your favorite piece of music, art, or performance? Why is it your favorite?

  • What do you think is the primary message of this documentary? Do you think it conveyed this message well? Why or why not?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

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Love and Fury movie poster: Above title an illustration shows many Native American musicians, poets, and artists singing, playing instruments, and speaking

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