Common Sense Media Review
By Stefan Pape
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent, stylistic thriller has drugs and language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Pixie
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In PIXIE, following the death of her mother, Pixie (Olivia Cooke) is intent on avenging her death. When two hapless local men -- Frank (Ben Hardy) and Harland (Daryl McCormack) -- stumble across a bag full of drugs with a street value of over $1 million, Pixie spots an opportunity. The trio find themselves on the run across the Irish countryside with gangsters on their tail, as Pixie seeks to settle a score once and for all. With a priest.
Is It Any Good?
This is a brilliantly slick and stylized gangster flick, evidently taking much inspiration from the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. Pixie's director Barnaby Thompson is far from imitating though, and merely imbues that same swagger into this fast-paced endeavor.
The story remains engaging, and it's helped along by a rhythmic screenplay, and three central characters that are impossible to dislike. Cooke shines in the eponymous lead role, fearless in her depiction of this brilliantly devised character. While Hardy and McCormack provide a comedic counter, adding some charm and likable traits since they're both, in short, rather terrible at being criminals. Oh, and look out for Alec Baldwin playing a terrifying priest, just in case you weren't sold already.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Pixie. How did it make you feel? What did the movie have to say about violence? Did it glorify it?
Discuss the strong language used -- including the vulgar sexual references. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
How was drinking, smoking, and drug use depicted in the movie? Was it glamorized? Were there realistic consequences? Why is that important?
The lead characters are incredibly flawed, and do some unspeakable things. Did you still find yourself rooting for them? If so, why?
The movie is heavily influenced by filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. What were some of the similarities to their films?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 5, 2021
- On DVD or streaming : March 5, 2021
- Cast : Olivia Cooke , Ben Hardy , Daryl McCormack
- Director : Barnaby Thompson
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Paramount
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, language, drug content and some sexual references
- Last updated : August 7, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
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
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate