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The Drop

age 17+
(i)

 

Hard crime drama is well written/acted but violent.
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  • Review Date: September 10, 2014
  • Rated: R
  • Genre: Drama
  • Release Year: 2014
  • Running Time: 107 minutes

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What parents need to know

Positive messages

Characters get away with all kinds of threats and violence with no consequences. This neighborhood dispenses its own brand of justice, and everyone works for the mob without much choice in the matter. A woman decides it's OK to go on a date with a cold-blooded killer.

Positive role models

Most of the characters are violent and self-serving, with no consequences for their actions except perhaps more violence. The main character rescues a dog and is kind to a woman he's met, but other aspects of his character nullify any positive traits.

Violence

A couple of brutal shootings, with spurting blood and dead bodies. A minor character is tortured in the back of a van with a huge bolt screwed through his ankle; there's a huge pool of dripping blood. A bloody, severed arm is found in a bag of money. A man deliberately runs over another man in his car, several times. Fights lead to bloody cuts and bruises; threatening situations. A female character has scars on her neck that she made herself; she explains that she did it with a peeler while she was on drugs. A puppy is found in a garbage can, with blood all over its fur; he's rescued and turns out just fine.

Sex

There's a romantic subplot, but it remains platonic for almost the whole movie.

Language

"F--k" is used regularly, as is "s--t." "P---y" is used once, and "Jesus" (as an exclamation) is heard.

Consumerism

An opening montage has a rather obvious shot of some Nike shoes. Many brand names of beer and other alcoholic drinks are mentioned and/or shown in the bar's day-to-day business.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Quite a bit of drinking by bar patrons, as well as a few beers shared socially, but no one ever seems to have a drinking problem. A supporting character is shown smoking cigarettes on a regular basis. Harder drugs are mentioned and/or discussed.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Drop is a crime drama taken from a story by author Dennis Lehane that stars Tom Hardy (Bane in The Dark Knight Rises). It's violent, with brutal slayings, spatters, and sprays of blood, plus an all-around sense of menace. Even a dog is found in a trash can with blood in its fur. Language is also strong, with many uses of "f--k" and "s--t." There's a romantic subplot, but sex isn't an issue; the relationship remains platonic through almost all of the movie. Much of the movie takes place in a bar, so there's a lot of social and casual drinking, though not really to excess. There's also regular cigarette smoking. This is a fairly grown-up story, so teens likely won't be too interested unless they're die-hard Hardy fans.

Kids say

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What's the story?

Bob (Tom Hardy) works for his cousin, Marv (the late James Gandolfini), in a bar in a tough New York neighborhood. Occasionally, Chechen crime lords use the bar for their nightly "drops," and Bob must collect and keep packages of money overnight. Things are stable until Bob finds a pit bull puppy in a trash can and decides to rescue him; a woman named Nadia (Noomi Rapace) lends him a hand. Unfortunately, a dangerous-looking thug (Matthias Schoenaerts) comes around, claiming that the dog is his. At the same time, the bar is robbed, and the Chechens come knocking, looking for the stolen cash to be replaced -- all while a police detective (John Ortiz) snoops around. Bob must dig around in dark secrets before making his next move.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

After landing an Oscar nomination for his film Bullhead, Belgian director Michael R. Roskam comes to America for this gritty, streetwise crime drama, written by Dennis Lehane and based on his own short story. Roskam emphasizes character and dialogue first, giving the main characters -- as well as a handful of supporters -- a strong inner life; each one feels as if he or she existed in the outer edges of the story before the movie ever started.

Lehane's sharp, prickly dialogue includes enjoyably lively throwaway moments, while Roskam uses weather to fine effect. Viewers learn through dialogue that it's the Christmas and New Year season, but the film emphasizes drizzly cold, rather than any kind of celebration or joy. The plot, on the other hand, is a tad on the mushy side and doesn't generate an air-tight scheme or much suspense, and the ending is a little too pat. But the performances, especially by Hardy and the late, great Gandolfini, as well as by Bullhead star Schoenaerts, are quite strong.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about The Drop's brutal violence. How much is shown, and how did it affect you? How is the story served by such violence? Is it necessary to the plot?

  • How is the story affected by the fact that it takes place in a bar? How much alcohol do characters drink? Do they seem to drink for pleasure or to deal with pain? Are there realistic consequences?

  • What makes Bob fascinating, given the good and bad sides of his personality? Does one connect to another? Is he someone to admire or emulate?

  • How did you feel about Nadia and her choice in men? Is she a strong female character or closer to a stereotype?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:September 12, 2014
DVD release date:January 20, 2015
Cast:Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini
Director:Michael Roskam
Studio:Fox Searchlight
Genre:Drama
Run time:107 minutes
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:some strong violence and pervasive language

This review of The Drop was written by

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

Quality

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Adult Written byPatrick94 March 30, 2015
age 15+

Definitely NOT "bland"

Firstly, I think 17 is a bit harsh for this movie. Yes, there is some gory violence in it, but it isn't excessive, language is a bit of a concern, but TBH most 13 year olds hear this stuff all the time anyway, and it isn't excessive either. Other than that there isn't anything parents should be concerned about. The movie itself is brilliant, and the reviewer that called it "bland", well that opinion says more about them than it does about the movie. It's a slow-paced, intelligent thriller. Not a fast-paced non-sensical action movie (like John Wick, which I watched the same night). More kids around the 15 year old age group should be exposed to these types of movies IMO. Too many kids (not to mention adults) are fed cliched hollywood action junk that poison their minds as well as their taste in movies.
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Adult Written byB-KMastah October 12, 2014
age 14+

Surprisingly bland.

I hate to sound like a cynic, but I feel like a fair amount of this movie's positive reception is because it features James Gandolfini's last performance. It at least had to be contributing factor. While the acting is solid and it has a fitting aesthetic, the characters and plot are very cookie cutter. It's entertaining for what it is for the first half, but then it starts to drag on. It's not to say that it doesn't try stuff new, but when it does, it's too little and too late. The plot gets convoluted and doesn't actually add up completely in retrospect, and for a movie that's 106 minutes, it still could have been around 20 minutes shorter. The one thing that is odd, however, is Tom Hardy's character. It isn't because of the acting, which is very good despite his accent occasionally slipping around, but because of the writing. There are some things said or acted by him that just come off as either odd or unconfidently humorous. The atmosphere set here is good and the costume design is very convincing, as are the sets. In the end, however, it's just another mob movie with a mildly surprising twist ending. 5.7/10, meh, one thumb down, average, etc.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much swearing
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