Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Personalized picks at your fingertips

Get the mobile app on iOS and Android

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

Misbehaviour

By Stefan Pape, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Uplifting tale of women fighting for gender equality.

Movie NR 2020 106 minutes
Misbehaviour Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Goodforumkvies
Goodforumkvies Parent of 11-year-old
March 3, 2022
age 11+

Powerful movie, great for mature kids

This movie is very educational towards kids. Lots of messages about perseverance, power, and standing up for yourself. Children should watch the film from a young age (10-11) so they remember all these great and important messages. You would expect some tension, but surprisingly there's nothing too gory that an 8 year old can't handle: Things thrown on the stage, and the host threatened with a gun but it is supposed to be "fake" in the film. Some slapping, but no injuries. Some Language, mostly name calling "bloody" and a use of "hell", but its nothing to worry about. Parents, if you decide to watch this film with your tweens or younger teens, its better to be there, so you can explain what is right and what is not right. There's also some sexist jokes and objectifying others, which may be confusing for young kids. I say that Misbehavior, is an iffy choice for children under 12 years old, and say it is a 4/5 rating film.
TiredParents
TiredParents Adult
September 22, 2020
age 14+

Great!

It's a fun movie with a great message.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Set in 1970, in MISBEHAVIOUR, Sally Alexander (Keira Knightley) befriends renegade student Jo Robinson (Jessie Buckley) as they fight for equality between genders. Despite their approaches being different -- Sally being more conservative -- they join forces to make a public stand at the Miss World beauty competition in London. With Bob Hope (Greg Kinnear) hosting, they see an opportunity to protest on live television. But they must also make it clear to the contestants, such as Grenada's Jennifer Hosten (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) that their fight is against the concept of judging women on their bodies, rather than attacking the girls themselves.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This movie enters sensitive and interesting territory that is delicately tackled, and creates a nuanced and layered drama. Knightley and Mbatha-Raw impress, and while the movie can be accused of being quite cliche at times, it's enriched by a strong, and sadly still relevant storyline.

Misbehaviour follows in a long line of uplifting British dramas, in the same vein as Made in Dagenham and Suffragette, though perhaps just abides by convention a little too much. It's a fascinating story for director Philippa Lowthorpe to untangle, because the issue is a complex one. Naturally we side with the female protestors, risking everything to help create a fairer society. But is the Miss World event the right place to start? Contestant Jennifer Hosten (Mbatha-Raw) isn't so sure, for she feels any success she may have would inspire young black girls to realize that their beauty is valued, and shouldn't just accept what they see in movies and magazines.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the gender equality in Misbehaviour. Discuss the history of women's rights. Is it surprising that women were forced into acting in such a way? What other examples from history are there of women fighting for a fairer society? How important is it that there is more equality in the world?

  • Discuss some of the character strengths displayed. Why are courage, integrity, perseverance, and teamwork such good traits to have?

  • Were the protestors right to choose Miss World because of what it represents? Or was that competition important in proving that beauty is diverse and global?

  • Talk about the power of protesting. What do you feel passionately about or would like to change? How is the likes of Greta Thunberg an inspiration?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

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 suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

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