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Parents' Guide to

The Girl and the Gun

By John Sooja, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Woman seeks revenge; sexual violence, blood, language.

Movie NR 2019 80 minutes
The Girl and the Gun Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

In THE GIRL AND THE GUN, Babae (Janine Gutierrez) is barely making ends meet working at a department store. Her superiors overlook her, her peers creep on her, and her best friend has an abusive boyfriend. How long can Babae live like this before taking matters into her own hands?

Is It Any Good?

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

As a showcase for Janine Gutierrez, this thriller largely thrills because of her performance. But, sadly, the structure of The Girl and the Gun really brings the movie down. In the beginning, the film wonderfully sets up a dark and uncomfortable world, one where Babae scraping by hinges on things like whether or not she can repair her leggings. But for some reason, the movie brings itself to a complete halt halfway in, and not only is this switch jarring and confusing, it also derails the momentum of Babae's story.

Further, while the film's portrayal of sexual violence may be received varyingly, the film certainly risks coming across as a bit antiquated in how it represents women and/or the oppression of women. The musical choice of jazz (bouncy, funky, happy interludes) that accompanies many scene transitions also generates a sense of second-wave feminist fearmongering ("Watch out! Treat women right or they will fight back!") that feels awkward.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about sexual violence. Does The Girl and the Gun portray sexual violence, rape, and abuse realistically? Did anything bother you about the way these were represented?

  • Discuss the violence in the film. Was the violence justified? What might this film look like without any killing, shooting, blood, or sexual violence?

  • Why do you think the film took such a turn in its second half? Were you on board or not? Why?

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.

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