Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Low-key crime comedy has violence, tons of language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
One Day as a Lion
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In ONE DAY AS A LION, Jackie Powers (Scott Caan) is an ex-boxer in need of money. He's given the job of killing an ornery old cowboy, Walter Boggs (J.K. Simmons), who hasn't paid his debts to crime lord Pauly Russo (Frank Grillo). Jackie follows Boggs into a diner and botches the job badly, accidentally killing the cook, letting Boggs go, and then deciding to kidnap server Lola Brisky (Marianne Rendón). Jackie confesses to Lola that he's not really a criminal; he just needs money to hire a lawyer to get his son, Billy (Dash Melrose), out of prison. Lola proposes a plan. If they can pose as a couple and convince Lola's eccentric, wealthy mother (Virginia Madsen) that they're planning to get married, they might be able to get enough money to pay for both Jackie's lawyer and Lola's dream to get to Costa Rica. But of course things don't quite go as planned.
Is It Any Good?
It's nothing special, but this laconic, low-budget crime movie has enough scruffy moments of humor and terrifically quirky characters to make it worth a watch if it happens to be on. Written by and starring Scott Caan, the actor now carries the singular swagger of his late father, James Caan, as well as a charming, slightly clueless ne'er-do-well quality, all of which goes a long way in making One Day as a Lion likable. The twisty plot is frankly less engaging than the spiffy turns by Simmons as an unflappable cowpoke who rides a horse to the local diner and Madsen as a perpetually peeved mother with curlers in her hair, plus Grillo, Taryn Manning, George Carroll, and especially Rendón as the grumpy Lola, who's smarter than just about everyone else here and barely able to hide her disgust. Director John Swab, who's slowly establishing himself as a fairly reliable B movie maker, holds things together in a way that suggests confidence, even if things aren't exactly exploding with energy. One Day as a Lion doesn't roar, but it pleasantly purrs.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about One Day as a Lion's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How do you feel about rooting for the main character, given that he's a killer, kidnapper, liar, etc.?
Does the movie objectify women? Do female characters have agency? If so, how?
In the movie, what are relationships between parents and children like? How do they compare to your own relationships?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 16, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : April 7, 2023
- Cast : Scott Caan , Marianne Rendón , Frank Grillo
- Director : John Swab
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 87 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : pervasive language, some violence and sexual references
- Last updated : April 19, 2023
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