Common Sense Media Review
By Jose Solis
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Forgettable thriller has language, nudity, and violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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The Courier (2024)
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE COURIER, Iván (Arón Piper), a lower middle-class valet living in Spain, sees an opportunity to become a courier for money launderers between several European countries. The film follows his rise and fall as he becomes a powerful agent taking advantage of the real estate bubble, but gaining a powerful enemy in Francisco (Luis Tosar), who sees him as a powerful competitor.
Is It Any Good?
From The Fast and the Furious to Bonnie and Clyde, films that glamorize crime have existed as long as the medium has been around. Despite its constant thrills, Daniel Calparsoro's The Courier isn't likely to leave a mark once its credits roll. Arón Piper is charismatic and seductive as Iván, a lower middle-class valet who sees and seizes an opportunity to become a courier for money launderers across Europe to avoid ending bitter and impoverished like his idealistic father (Antonio Buíl).
But his rise and fall are ridden with clichés and genre stereotypes (how many strip clubs can an aspiring crime lord visit in a single film?) that dazzle but fail to fulfill beyond the film's fast-paced runtime. There is a juicier story in The Courier that deals with how the rich are often left unscathed in games of power and corruption, but that's not the tale Calparsoro is interested in delving in, instead delivering something as vapid as Iván's dreams.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the path Iván chooses to follow in The Courier. Is his career choice the best way to avoid becoming like his father? Why or why not?
The film is based on a true story. Does it embellish the crime or does it show real-life consequences? Does it balance both?
Both Francisco and Iván follow a life of crime. Does the film portray them both as villains or heroes? Does it make you root for one and not the other? How so?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 10, 2024
- Cast : Arón Piper , Luis Tosar , Luis Zahera
- Director : Daniel Calparsoro
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 101 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : May 16, 2024
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