Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Stirring, lyrical Western has peril, some harsh violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
News of the World
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?
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
- In theaters : December 25, 2020
- On DVD or streaming : March 23, 2021
- Cast : Tom Hanks , Elizabeth Marvel , Mare Winningham
- Director : Paul Greengrass
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters , History
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 118 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, disturbing images, thematic material and some language
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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