Parents' Guide to

Run Lola Run

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

'90s German crime drama has violence, language.

Movie R 1999 81 minutes
Run Lola Run Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

KidFriendlyEdits
KidFriendlyEdits Parent of 8 and 11-year-old
August 5, 2022
age 12+

Exciting and unpredictable from start to finish

I told my daughter as little as possible about this before we watched it (I had already seen it and deemed it completely appropriate) and I was glad I did. Seeing her reactions to all of the twists and turns was a real delight. Truly, I don't think there has been a movie this unpredictable and just flat-out fun as this one in a long time. There's a little stuff about pregnancy and a baby conceived during an affair, some language here and there and a brief couple of shots (about 2 seconds worth) of S&M but that's about it. Exciting from start to finish and perfectly fine for 12 and up or more mature 11 year olds.
BestPicture1996
BestPicture1996 Adult
March 4, 2014
age 15+

Tame for an R rating!

This is for sure an edgy PG-13, making it OK for 15 and up. You want to know as little about this movie as possible before going into it, I was thoroughly surprised and caught off guard by it! It has a startlingly original premise, and solid acting by characters...well, let's just say characters you get fairly familiar with by the end of 80 minutes of running, techno rave music and a gangster named Ronnie. Fast paced, great action, music, screenplay...a really extraordinary import!
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

RUN LOLA RUN is a German import about Lola (Franka Potente), who gets a frantic phone call from her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), and has only 20 minutes to find a large sum of money, or he'll be killed by the drug dealer to whom he's supposed to deliver the money. Lola rushes to save Manni from the drug dealer, and from himself -- he plans to hold up a store if she cannot get him the money. When she interacts with people on her way -- and in her way -- we get glimpses of what their lives ahead will hold. Lola runs to the bank where her father works to ask him for the money. But he has his own problems. She doesn't make it in time, and the result is tragic. But Lola is determined not to let that happen again. All of a sudden, we're back in her apartment and she's getting Manni's call again. Everything starts over, but with tiny differences that have huge consequences for Lola and Manni and for the people around them. It takes three tries before Lola's running is over.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Teenagers with a taste for the offbeat may enjoy this thriller. Although it's from the '90s and it may seem a bit dated, there's still a lot to keep audiences interested. It's fun to watch, with a lot of very clever jump cuts and effects, and it can be a nice jolt for teens who are used to pedestrian big-budget filmmaking. It's dark, though, and the violence might be too much for sensitive teens. Families who watch together can talk about the butterfly effect and how seemingly small choices can make a huge difference.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's theme and about the way that the tiniest choices and interactions can have the most wide-reaching consequences.

  • How did the movie use music to heighten the tension throughout the movie?

  • Did the violence seem necessary to the story and themes, or did it seem gratuitous? Why?

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