Parents' Guide to

Seeking Justice

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Nic Cage thriller is violent, with iffy messages.

Movie R 2012 105 minutes
Seeking Justice Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 15+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Rebecca N.
Rebecca N. Parent
March 23, 2018
age 13+

I enjoyed it

Plot twist. Kept mw on the edge of my seat.

This title has:

Too much violence
joshua martinez
joshua martinez Adult
June 22, 2012
age 16+

16 and up.

this thriller movie seeking justice stars with Nicolas Cage is an average movie that's good enough for your older teens and parents you need to know that this thriller movie seeking justice has a lot of intense violence one sex scene some strong language used and some drinking used such as wine.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

New Orleans high school teacher Will Gerard (Nicolas Cage) is happily married to concert musician Laura (January Jones), until their lives are turned upside down the night Laura is raped. In the hospital, a mysterious man, Simon (Guy Pearce) approaches Will with an offer. Simon will catch and kill the rapist if Will agrees to repay the favor someday. Six months later, Will gets a call. A simple task -- mailing a letter -- quickly escalates into an order to kill a man. Will realizes that he can't do it, but his decision makes him an enemy of a very powerful and secret organization. His only hope is the mysterious hidden evidence collected by a dead journalist. Can Will find it -- and use it -- in time?

Is It Any Good?

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

Beginning with a good, simple idea, SEEKING JUSTICE would have played much better as a half-hour Twilight Zone episode, keeping the secret organization and the conspiracy a mystery. A much better feature-length movie might have more deeply explored the moral implications of Will's choice. But as it stands, veteran director Roger Donaldson and writers Todd Hickey and Robert Tannen instead turn Seeking Justice into a lengthy chase movie that grows ever more ludicrous.

For an exploration of a Faustian deal, Seeking Justice doesn't seem to care much about morals; it's not OK for the lead character to kill anyone, but it is OK for him to steal cars, bribe people, break and enter, and destroy property. That said, for at least half of the movie -- while the mystery is still mysterious -- Seeking Justice expertly provides certain tingles. Additionally, Cage has one of his best and most understated roles in some time, reminding us why he became a movie star in the first place.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Seeking Justice's violence. What's suggested, and what's actually shown? Which is more shocking?

  • What does a "Faustian" deal -- a "deal with the devil" -- mean? What were Will's choices? What are the consequences of each choice? What are some other examples of Faustian deals?

  • Simon's organization was seemingly designed to accomplish justice and stop crime when the police failed. Is this right or wrong? What's the difference between justice and law?

  • After the main character tries to set thing right again, he still steals and bribes people. Do the ends ever justify the means?

Movie Details

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