Parents' Guide to

The Circuit

By Anne Louise Bannon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Car racing drama is too steamy for young kids.

Movie NR 2010 89 minutes
The Circuit Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

You can't really call THE CIRCUIT bad. On the downside, it does what it does predictably, with a minimum of real suspense. But Trachtenberg, Campbell, and Fuller are all reasonably likeable, and there aren't too many plot holes. If it weren't for some of the characters' more adult behaviors, it would be a pleasant way to spend a couple hours with the kids.

And that may be where the whole thing falls apart -- nothing is as edgy as the real world of stock car racing, but the movie isn't light enough to make the fantasy real. There's no sense of danger, in spite of the fact that auto racing is exceedingly dangerous; even the crash scenes don't have much impact. And the one instance of sexual harassment is laughable. It's as though these scenes -- and the steamy encounters between Kylie and Kid -- were added to give an edge to a story that simply didn't need it.

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate