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Parents' Guide to

News of the World

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Stirring, lyrical Western has peril, some harsh violence.

Movie PG-13 2020 118 minutes
News of the World Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 9 parent reviews

HydroPlaysXbandWatchesFilms
HydroPlaysXbandWatchesFilms Adult
December 27, 2020
age 13+

A crowd pleasing film. Great to watch with your family.

It’s Tom Hanks first western. It’s bound to have certain charms. It has those, and the production value is fantastic, but it personally let me down a little bit, but kids will have a lot of fun. Violence: Western violence. Some people are shot, with a puff of blood. There are fistfights. Not very graphic. There’s menace, and obstacles our characters have to get past. Nothing super violent here, some graphic images as well. (Such as partially skinned cows littering the background.) Language: D**n is used consistently. Probably about 5 times with God before it. It’s not super common, but something to remember. Sex and consumption are very mild. There is a minor sexual reference, dodging any graphic talk, but due to the circumstances it’s used more as a taunt. Some minor alcohol consumption and some cigarettes may have been smoked. Extra: Role models and messages are here. Messages are particularly positive, and our main character evolves quite a bit from the start.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
Applecot
Applecot Parent of 14 and 14-year-old
August 25, 2021
age 12+

A new different look at the old west.

A freshly different route traveling through Western country, focusing on two strangers to meet by chance, and how they get to know and trust each other as they go through various experiences. Captivating and mysterious but realistic, too.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In NEWS OF THE WORLD, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks) -- a Civil War veteran -- travels the U.S. countryside in 1870, reading the latest newspapers to customers who can afford to pay him a dime apiece. On the road, Kidd finds a hanged body and a wrecked wagon, and then spots a young girl hiding in the bushes. He finds her paperwork and discovers that she had been taken years earlier by the Kiowa people, who then raised her as one of their own (and whom she regards as her family). Kidd tries to arrange to have soldiers take her to her biological aunt and uncle, but the job winds up falling to him. With the girl, Johanna (Helena Zengel), speaking no English and Kidd unsure of how to take care of a child, their adventures begin. They face everything from a murderous band of unsavory men to a sandstorm and a dangerous authoritarian who pushes "fake news."

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (9 ):

Director Paul Greengrass slows down his usual frenetic handheld camerawork for this stirring, lyrical Western, which captures a deeply divided nation, as well as the humanity that keeps it going. At its essence, News of the World is an old-fashioned Western drama, including a deeply humanistic performance by one of our great current movie stars. Hanks' work here stems from pain as well as kindness. And Zengel is amazing as Johanna, wild and cunning; she suggests both Mattie Ross from True Grit and Grogu from The Mandalorian. These two characters are the movie's center, and, as they travel along the road, others move in and out of the periphery.

The most striking and terrifying person they encounter is Farley (Thomas Francis Murphy), a would-be authoritarian leader who offers grim parallels to modern times. He asks Kidd to read from his self-published newspaper, which has stories about made-up versions of his exploits. (Kidd reads the real news instead and gets into trouble for it.) Greengrass, who also directed Hanks in the powerful Captain Phillips, lets the story of News of the World unfold as it should, with Kidd and Johanna forming a bond, but expertly views it through a grittier lens. This old West isn't romanticized. The landscape is sometimes harsh and sometimes helpful, but it always feels honest.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about News of the World's violence. How did it make you feel? How does the movie suggest menace without showing tons of fighting or blood? What's more upsetting to you: peril abd danger, or bloodshed?

  • Why is it important for people to know the (real) news? What's dangerous about "fake news" being spread?

  • Do you consider Kidd a role model? How does he demonstrate courage, perseverance, and teamwork?

  • Johanna considers the Kiowa people her family. Do you think it was right for her to be forced to leave them? What does "family" mean to you?

  • Why do you think people like Westerns? What can we learn from them?

Movie Details

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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.

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