Parents' Guide to

Pain & Gain

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Violent, stupid, offensive, unfunny "true crime" story.

Movie R 2013 130 minutes
Pain & Gain Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 16 parent reviews

age 16+

This film is based on a true story sex, language,violence, lots of drinking, drugs and smoking

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
age 16+

Dark comedy movie contains bloody violence and sex

Parents need to know that this movie is sometimes funny but contains bloody violence,two sex scenes (one of them is graphic),and frequent strong languag.This film is more appropiate for teens.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much sex
Too much swearing

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (16):
Kids say (15):

Michael Bay, best known for his loud, explosive action movies, takes a step back with this relatively cheaper film, concentrating on fewer special effects and more characters. Unfortunately, this is like watching a chef doing the dishes; it's not his strong suit. PAIN & GAIN winds up being one of Bay's stupider and more tasteless efforts, though it's a good deal more tasteless than stupid.

Movies about dumb criminals can be highly entertaining (Fargo, for example), but Bay sends his story spinning wildly over the top. His characters are aggravatingly idiotic, the mood is belligerent, and the pacing is erratic. But worst of all is the humor. Bay may be the least funny director alive, and he insists on using an endless array of cruel, horrible jokes -- about fat people, drug addicts, women in general, and just about everyone else. Only Ed Harris, playing a private detective, provides any dignity.

Movie Details

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