Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Legal drama with language, drinking, suicide references.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
System
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In SYSTEM, Neha (Sonakshi Sinha) is a young prosecutor and the daughter of a lauded, wealthy, and arrogant defense attorney (Ashutosh Gowariker). She has longed to be hired away from her low-paying government job to join his high-powered firm, but he insists that she get more experience first. When she faces him in court, he's defending one of his wealthy and morally questionable clients. Gradually, with the help of a court stenographer (Jyotika), Neha uncovers systemic corruption—and sees the role her supposedly upstanding father has long played in it.
Is It Any Good?
This legal drama has the right mood, good intentions, and an inspiring devotion to the idea of doing the right thing. But at 123 minutes, it's overlong by a good half-hour, and it spends a great deal of those unnecessary minutes on mind-bogglingly confusing flashbacks and accompanying exposition. None of it truly clarifies the vast assortment of minor characters and the roles they play in years of corruption and conspiracy.
The knot of legal obfuscation is eventually untied during a murder case that pits an aspiring young female prosecutor against her successful and condescending defense lawyer father. American audiences unfamiliar with the Indian legal system may find some of the courtroom practices confusing. It seems that opposing attorneys do most of the testifying—in this movie, witnesses don't get to say much. And it feels odd that a court stenographer needs to lecture a prosecutor on what constitutes evidence and proof. In any case, good performances help, but this remains an overlong attempt to visit ethical questions better addressed in other movies (The Verdict, Runaway Jury, 12 Angry Men).
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how difficult it can be to discover that a parent isn't really a good person. How does Neha handle finding out the truth about her father?
Neha faces a moral dilemma. Does she handle it well? Why, or why not?
Do people who do wrong deserve punishment? What should society do when wrongdoers are so wealthy they can evade consequences?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 22, 2026
- Cast : Sonakshi Sinha , Jyotika , Ashutosh Gowariker
- Director : Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
- Studio : Amazon Prime Video
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 123 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : June 19, 2026
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