Parents' Guide to

Snitch

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Fact-based thriller paints harsh picture of drug trade.

Movie PG-13 2013 112 minutes
Snitch Poster Image

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 5 parent reviews

jowen1007
jowen1007 Parent of 4, 15 and 18-year-old
November 15, 2022
age 15+

The controversial conspiracy with the Nation's "War on Drugs"

I think the movie has a few good messages. The lesson taught on the seriousness and consequences of drugs and the way the government will try and play both sides. It's a rude awakening for teens but something important that can't be ignored. Then there is the lesson taught on the lengths we would go for the love of our family. There's also the little side stories that teach on the life challenges like the effects of divorce on kids, peer pressure, loyalty, and the reality of our prison systems, the Law, and government politics

This title has:

Great messages
edster3
edster3 Adult
June 15, 2021
age 10+

Snitch why for kids

I say kids should see this because even a stupid move done just once can get you serious serious jail time. "Helping" a friend by accepting drugs is NOT a smart move. Kids need to see how damaging one wrong decision can destroy your life! Dwayne Johnson and the director show how this can escalate. Granted this is over the top in regards to the action, but the one man army genre works here. Very well made and underrated movie.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When his son Jason (Rafi Gavron), a high school senior, is arrested in a major narcotics bust, construction executive John Matthews (Dwayne Johnson) is introduced to the brutal world of mandatory sentencing laws. Though Jason is just a naive player in this world, the feds, led by the prosecutor (Susan Sarandon), expect him to SNITCH, to give up someone up the chain as part of a plea deal. But Jason won't talk on principle -- and he doesn't know anyone else besides the one friend who snitched on him to begin with, anyway. So instead, Matthews decides to offer himself up as a bargaining chip to limit Jason's sentence. He'll go undercover and become the bait to lure the proverbial bigger fish, a drug dealer (Michael K. Williams) who's running the local trade. Matthews' new employee (Jon Bernthal) is his entrée to this netherworld, but the transaction grows much more complicated and dangerous when a Mexican drug lord known as El Topo (Benjamin Bratt) takes over the transaction.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (8):

This moie has an uphill struggle from the get-go. Though its subject matter reeks of gravitas, it doesn't have the chops of a rich, complicated film like Traffic (despite a cast that includes the underused Sarandon and the top-rate Bratt), nor does it have the taut pacing of the Bourne movies. But for an action thriller with a message (that drug-sentencing laws for first-time offenders are massively unfair), Snitch moves at a good clip and lets the plot, based on a true story, unspool in a straightforward, if pedestrian, manner.

So, yes, it's entertaining. Johnson doesn't exhibit much range, but it suffices. He's convincing as a father focused on getting the job done -- negotiating his son's release from jail -- no matter the cost. The back story has just enough layering that we care a bit for the characters, and maybe even the social issues the film tries to illuminate. Snitch is no trailblazer, though not every movie has to be. It's really more of a two-and-a-half-star film than a three, but we'll give it the extra half star, anyway, for the eye-opening, fast-moving story.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Snitch's messages. How does the movie's violent content affect the impact of any positive themes/take-aways?

  • How does the movie depict the drug trade? Do the consequences for use/dealing seem realistic? Fair?

  • Talk about how Jason gets in trouble in the first place. Is it believable? What do you think of the legal consequences of his one mistake? Do they seem fair?

Movie Details

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