Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bloody wilderness survival story has lots of violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Grey
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 21 parent reviews
Based on 37 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is visually stunning and features strong performances, especially from Liam Neeson, but it is also criticized for its intense violence and pervasive strong language. Many reviewers feel it is not suitable for younger audiences due to graphic scenes involving death and gore, along with excessive profanity, though some appreciate its deep themes surrounding survival and mortality.
- intense violence
- strong language
- emotional depth
- age restriction
- powerful performances
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Withdrawn, sad, and stoic, Ottway (Liam Neeson) works "a job at the end of the world." He's a rifleman for an Alaskan oil drilling station, and it's his responsibility to shoot and kill any wolves that venture anywhere near the workers. A plane taking the men back to Anchorage for a little R&R crashes in the snowy wilderness; only eight survive, including the macho Diaz (Frank Grillo) and Talget (Dermot Mulroney), who has a fear of heights. Unfortunately, they land right in the middle of a den of wolves. Ottway takes the lead and formulates a desperate plan to make for the trees before the wolves attack. But even if they manage to escape those hungry predators, they're still lost ... and very, very cold.
Is It Any Good?
This film is more focused on raw guts than on deep thoughts. Director Joe Carnahan is probably best known for "guy" movies like Smokin' Aces and The A-Team, but now he has made a movie about men. THE GREY is a good deal more serious than his previous pulpy entertainments, but it's also a good deal less serious than many other man-versus-nature stories -- some of which can tend to get a bit metaphysical (Into the Wild, etc.). Its simple theme isn't so much man-versus-himself but man-versus-wolf.
Neeson is perfect for this kind of material; he's a real grown-up, and he's not boyish. He has a solid acting career behind him, with many acclaimed performances, and he's not an action hero or a special effect. He's refreshingly human and much more effective here than in his last outing with Carnahan, the silly A-Team. His believability -- and fallibility -- as a leader make the drama here work every step of the way.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Grey's extreme violence and gore. Does it seem gratuitous, or does it fit in with the story and themes? Does it have more or less impact than what you've seen in horror movies? Why?
What's the appeal of the "wilderness survival" genre? How do you think you'd do in a situation like this one?
Is the main character a positive role model? Could anything make him a better one?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 27, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : May 15, 2012
- Cast : Dermot Mulroney , Frank Grillo , Liam Neeson
- Director : Joe Carnahan
- Studio : Open Road Films
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Adventures
- Run time : 117 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence/disturbing content including bloody images, and for pervasive language
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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
Suggest an 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