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Parents' Guide to

She Said

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Powerful, intense tale of creating change via journalism.

Movie R 2022 128 minutes
She Said Movie Poster

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

Charlie H.
Charlie H. Adult
December 23, 2022
age 14+

It has a strong narrative, strong characters and may lack in some way, but in the end, it's worth watching movie!

She Said opened to 2,022 theaters, and it so happened to come to our theater. I remember first seeing the trailer for this when seeing the Woman King, and me and my dad both thought it looked interested, but little did I know that it would release to a little over 2,000 theaters and that I would actually enjoy the film. The first thing I noticed when I was seeing this was how I was the only male in the theater and how the rest were females. Only about 8 of us saw the movie that night, and I think the big majority of the crowd loved it. There is a lot to love about this movie with a few minor complaints to it of course. The main actresses Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan did such a splended job in their roles, and I guess what made me enjoy this movie a bit more is how this is based on a true story about the sexaul abuse/rape against women that Harvey Weinstein did when he was running his film cmpany: Miramax. This movie had a lot of affect, but it didn't have the biggest affect on me quite as I think the movie wanted it to be. I mean, sure it opened my eyes on the wrongness of what actually may be happening behind the scene of a movie studio/wrongness of treating woman against their own will. Those were affective in every sense of way, and it hit hard too. But what also made this movie drag down just a few more notches down is how some scenes were exceptionally slow. Overall, I can't complain on how this movie turned out to be! I love how this movie opens up the publicity of Trump and maybe his abuse against women, and how it slowly transitioned to something related but yet different. The movie may have been slow, but it had a good pacing to it that the movie never felt like it dragged. It also captivated my interest on how recent the events from this movie actually happened, only about 5 years ago. That's legit! The movie had plenty of inspiring, moving stories from women in their telling their abuse from Harvey and how no one would stand up for them and how they are scared to speak out. The settlements/bribes of keeping the women quiet were profound, but what moved this movie so much is how it tells such a rich-true story. The movie was never really boring at any moment, just slow at times. but what kept this movie going and energized is the story and the acting. Beautiful to see, and beautiful to know that change actually happened that started the #MeToo movement. Just beautiful. It doesn't take long for the movie to dive in to what you're in a treat for. I saw this movie by myself, and the subject (as much as it can a bit uncomfortable to people) was handled well; if I was seeing this with someone else . . . well, I may have been uneasy seeing it, because I too don't like talking about rape/sexaul abuse but in all honesty: that's part of life, but it shouldn't be! This was a moving, inpsiring film that I feel like people should see this. It may cover an uncomfortable subject we don't talk often, but it handles not only the subject, but the true stroy in the best way possible. It may not be my favorite 2022 film seen this year, but it is solid for what it turned out to be! Go check it out!

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much swearing
2 people found this helpful.
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What's the Story?

Based on true events, SHE SAID follows New York Times reporters Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) during their investigation into Harvey Weinstein's abuse of power and sexual misconduct as the head of a Hollywood studio. As the reporters work to expose one of the most powerful and influential men in Hollywood as a predator, they realize that asking people to go on the record means asking them to risk their careers -- and in Hollywood, that's also their passion and purpose.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (4 ):

This drama is a cinematic earthquake. Audiences will be moved by She Said's powerful storytelling, focused tenacity, and the courage of the women who went on the record to help topple a monster. The movie elicits a physical reaction: Viewers may feel their insides rumble with outrage, frustration, and disgust that a powerful mogul was allegedly able to sexually abuse so many women and that a (nearly) insurmountable system was in place for decades to protect him and other abusers. There's a sense of breaking free as we watch the ground finally rupture under an industry, see more predators get shaken out of the shadows, and welcome substantial change. And there's a bit of instruction here, too: Change only lasts if we continue to demand it.

The drama, made quite soon after the events it covers, creates a record that enlarges the footprint of the news reporting of 2018. This is now a time-travel movie, a visual synopsis that could be revisited decades in the future that will accurately portray the attitudes of the era. That's why it's all the more rewarding to see a film that depicts the modern-day female experience with such reality. With so many years of mostly men behind the camera, much has been missed in depicting how women really interact with each other, how women can relish their work life as much as their family life, how some women may have faith intertwined with their being, and how women often face an extra layer of life to punch through because of the men who see women only as sexual beings. She Said also allows viewers to see how journalists can be heroes through their pursuit of the truth. But it's important to note that the movie doesn't make all men out to be villains -- just this one. When they're provided with the full understanding of what was happening, other men in the story provide aid to the investigation. The title clearly indicates that this story is coming from the female perspective, but it's an essential and fulfilling watch for everyone.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why abuse of power is a crime. What were the mechanisms that Weinstein allegedly used to keep women silent?

  • How do characters in She Said demonstrate integrity, perseverance, courage, self-control, empathy, and compassion? Why are those important character traits and life skills?

  • She Said features women in key production roles: director, writers, producers, and cinematographer. When women are behind the camera, how does it impact how they're portrayed on screen? Why does authentic representation matter?

Movie Details

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