Parents' Guide to Savage

Parents need to know that Savage is a brutal New Zealand coming-of-age drama about gang life, with moments of extreme violence, abuse, and strong language throughout. Danny (Jake Ryan) is an enforcer for a street gang with the action jumping back and forth in time to several key moments in his life. There are few positive messages, but at several points Danny stands up for people and protects those who can't defend themselves. There is a mix of White and Maori characters among the main cast, reflecting New Zealand's demographic. But female characters are marginalized. The main characters swear constantly -- including "f--k" and "c--t" -- and vie to achieve dominance in their social groups through violent altercations. This leads to fights between gangs that result in injury and death. Kids are also victims of violence at the hands of adults who mistreat them when they misbehave. There's even suggestion of child sexual abuse within a detention center. Some light nudity and kissing is shown -- more explicit are references to various sex acts. Characters are shown to value and derive status from possessions such as motorcycles. But generally criticize society for turning people into consumers and freezing them out. There is frequent use of drink and drugs, with alcohol, cigarettes, and pot used socially in bars and at parties, but rarely to excess.

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