Noah

Movie review by S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
Noah Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Dark biblical tale is brutal, violent, gory.

PG-13 2014 138 minutes
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Parents say

age 15+

Based on 32 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 52 reviews

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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 this epic tale from director Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream) takes on a character of biblical proportions, Noah. As befits the mayhem recounted in the bible, Noah is filled with catastrophe. The skies rain down from the heavens, drowning nearly everything, and humans are nearly feral as they battle each other for survival. There's no real swearing, just the word "damned," but plenty of brutality and gore: mountains of dead bodies are shown, sometimes close up, humans beat each other to death, sometimes with rocks, knives and spears.

Community Reviews

darrylh
darrylh Adult
September 13, 2014
age 12+
NOAH borrows its story elements from the Bible, the Midrash and the Talmud, as well as the art of Gustav Dore. It is a true post modern retelling. At this point in time do we we really need a cute Sunday school postcard of Noah leading a bunch of zoo animals to the arky-arky? Of course it is a dark story: God destroyed the world. And Believe it or not, the Watchers are part of the NOAH story in some if the other sources of Jewish folklore.

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2 people found this helpful.
Mattmchugh
Mattmchugh Adult
August 6, 2014
age 13+

Violent and deviates from Biblical story, but still compelling

God decides to destroy the world with a flood and tells a guy named Noah to build a boat to save the animals. That's pretty all much this film has in common with the Bible. It takes the basic idea then goes on its own journey. If that bothers you, skip this movie. If you can deal with that, there's a lot to like in "Noah." It's not for kids, though. Teens and up should be fine, provided they can deal with the violence. There's plenty of bloody fighting and death -- not to mention the mass drowning -- but it's all purposeful rather than gratuitous. Each death is sad and people suffer. I don't mind violence in films when the consequences are realistically portrayed, and that's mostly true in this movie. What's interesting -- and different from the Bible -- about "Noah" is the moral uncertainty. Noah has no doubt "The Creator" (the term "God" is never used) has given him a task, but he is sometimes unsure what that means. He struggles to follow what he believes is God's will, even when it goes against his conscience. That struggle makes "Noah" fascinating -- and possibly heretical, if you're Bible-thumper. If you can take "Noah" at face value, it's a rousing fantasy-epic, loosely inspired by the Bible, with a morally complex core. If you're a Biblical literalist, you'll have a hard time accepting the liberties it takes. -- mm
1 person found this helpful.
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What's the Story?

Russell Crowe plays Noah, a descendant from the line of Seth, son of Adam and Eve, who's beset by visions that reveal God's plan for the future: a devastating flood that will wipe out humans and help the remaining beings, including a pair of each animal roaming the earth, start over. But first he must build an ark, one that can withstand the assault of a massive flood, as well as the humans who want a place on the ark even if Noah doesn't want them in it. He must also struggle to make real God's plan while balancing his God-given ability to make choices. Meantime, his wife Naameh (Jennifer Connelly) and sons Shem (Douglas Booth), Ham (Logan Lerman), and Japheth (Leo McHugh Carroll), and adopted daughter Ila (Emma Watson), struggle to be by Noah's side, even as they balance their own needs and doubts about Noah's big plan. All this, as Tubal-cain (Ray Winstone) vies with Noah for supremacy -- and the ark.

Is It Any Good?

NOAH is a feat of filmmaking. Every frame, every angle, every shift speaks to the able hands of director Darren Aronofsky. It's a dark and gloomy version of the Biblical tale told here: Noah is tortured -- yes, tortured -- by his visions, not always at peace with the mission God sends his way. Anyone expecting an uplifting version about a man of deep faith heeding his Creator will be disappointed. Yes, Noah heeds. But he does so with plenty of doubts about his and his family's worthiness to survive, a complex and unnerving concept that some young teens may grapple to understand. This Noah doesn't pull its punches.

The film's laden with special effects, most of which is deployed in a way that serves the story. But some audiences may balk at the Watchers, hulking beings made of stone and gifted with Herculean strength that look like they belong in a Star Wars movie, not a Biblical epic. (Also, not sure these beings appear as they do in the Bible's text, one of many parts of the movie that could incite debate.) The film's mid-section feels paunchy and a little plodding, and the music gravitates toward ponderous. All this to say it's imperfect, but its epic sweep and grandeur deserves an audience.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence depicted in this movie. Is it necessary? What's the appeal of watching so much brutality? How else could this story have been told effectively?

  • Is this a religious movie? Who is the target audience for this film? How can you tell?

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