Sleight

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
Sleight Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Strong character-driven superpower tale has violence, drugs.

R 2017 90 minutes
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Parents say

age 18+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Sleight is an unusual mix of urban drama and indie sci-fi story. It's good enough and unique enough that it might appeal to teen viewers as a word-of-mouth hit. But given that the main character is a drug dealer, you can expect plenty of mature content: Drugs (cocaine and ecstasy) are shown and mentioned; characters also drink, smoke pot, and talk about drunken violence. Speaking of violence, there are scenes of a hand being chopped off, plus beating and punching, face-tearing, blood spatters, guns, burns, and other gross stuff. Language includes several uses of "f--k" (in various permutations), "s--t," and more. The main male and female characters flirt and kiss and are shown sleeping in bed together, but sex isn't shown or implied. It's worth noting that, in the end, the movie doesn't glamorize drug dealing; it's shown as a dangerous job to be avoided.

Community Reviews

Susan B.
Susan B. Adult
January 11, 2018
age 18+

Mixed Feelings

The main character is a realistic portrayal of a young adult struggling with negative influences and making choices. There are some positive messages mixed in with much negative influence. The audience finds themselves routing for the main character and his family. This is a highly anxiety-provoking film, as the plot increases to some very violent scenes. My family had to turn the film off after the scene in which a hand gets cut off. This is much more emotionally traumatic than the reviews state. The main character is forced to choose between cutting off someones' hand or the main drug dealer threatening to cut off his. We see the character whose hand is about to get cut off pleading to the main character and the main character over-wrought with emotion. It is extremely realistic. We felt sick watching it and did not finish the film. If you have sensitive people in your family, have caution with this unexpected scene, and overall movie. Otherwise, the concept of magic, aspiring for a better life, and the process of making choices as a young adult is portrayed well. If I had been able to make it through to the end of the film, I would have thought these concepts were brilliant and original, just too disturbing and anxiety-provoking. If this is what the filmmakers were meaning to illicit, they did a great job. beautiful visuals and thought-provoking otherwise.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In SLEIGHT, Bo (Jacob Latimore) is a young L.A. street magician who does amazing card tricks but specializes in making metal objects move and float. After his parents' death, Bo must take care of his younger sister, Tina (Storm Reid); to make ends meet, he sells drugs for Angelo (Dule Hill). Bo meets the pretty Holly (Seychelle Gabriel) while performing a trick on her ring, and they immediately hit it off. Unfortunately, when rival dealers move into their territory, Angelo recruits Bo for a dangerous, violent job. Bo decides to get out, but Angelo catches him cutting the drugs and demands retribution: $45,000 in one week. And to drive home his point, Angelo kidnaps Tina. Can Bo save the day?

Is It Any Good?

Director by J.D. Dillard brings this under-the-radar drama close to genre cliches but deftly avoids them with his strong characters, fine storytelling, and vivid atmosphere. The performances in Sleight are its strong point, with Latimore creating a sympathetic, kind, and yet believable drug dealer. Gabriel never lets us doubt for a second that she and Bo could have an instant attraction, and Hill is quite scary and effective as a sophisticated drug lord.

Even the marginal characters seem to have inner lives; a next-door neighbor talks about how much she's been studying lately, and a drug lackey talks about his upcoming mix tape. The physical space feels alive and used in ways that support the story, and the magic tricks seem truly magical, not overcooked visual effects. Best of all is the way that Dillard never lets the movie's "superpower" aspect get too out of hand (there are no explosions), nor does he follow any of the obvious threads to end his story. His actual final scene is like the conclusion of a great magic trick; it elicits a "wow."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Sleight's violence. How much was shown, and how did it affect you? Was it shocking or thrilling? How did the movie achieve that? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • The main character is a drug> dealer, and yet he's still likable. What makes that possible? What makes a character relatable and appealing?

  • Does the movie make drugs or drug dealing look appealing? What's the risk of movies glamorizing substance use?

  • Is this a superhero movie? If your answer is yes, how does it compare to other superhero movies?

Movie Details

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Themes & Topics

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