Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Powerful film takes aim at the U.S. War on Drugs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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The House I Live In
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Noted documentary filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (Freakonomics) begins by interviewing his former family housekeeper, Nannie Jeter, and discovering that her family was destroyed by drugs. So he begins investigating the United States' "War on Drugs," learning that it stretches back to Richard Nixon in the early 1970s and has cost some $1 trillion and resulted in 45 million arrests, many of them nonviolent. Interviewing experts and scholars, Jarecki learns that the War on Drugs has turned into a profitable industry, including the building of new prisons and the hiring of guards and police. But perhaps most shockingly, the movie draws comparisons between the racial and class marginalization of the War on Drugs and the Holocaust.
Is It Any Good?
Eugene Jarecki -- brother of filmmakers Andrew (Capturing the Friedmans) and Nicholas (Arbitrage) -- goes about his bold documentary in just the right way. He begins it with a personal touch. Nannie Jeter's (that's her real name) responses inspire Jarecki to look further into the history of the War on Drugs and its long-term damaging effects on the United States.
From there, driven by a personal impetus, THE HOUSE I LIVE IN turns into taut journalism, building its thesis as new ideas are discovered, and escalating the scale of its storytelling by leaps and bounds. Each new idea comes with a maximum amount of shock and punch, but, happily, the movie's thoughtful approach takes it out of the realm of "outrage docs." It never seems angry; rather, the tone is contemplative, regretful, and proactive. It does lazily rely on a few standard documentary-style choices here and there, but these don't detract from the powerful whole.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The House I Live In's violent and shocking content. How necessary is it for the movie to make its point?
Does the movie encourage using or selling drugs in any way? Does it forgive those who do? Is any part of the drug trade glamorized?
What can an average person do to help fight against the destructive cycle depicted in the movie?
Which of the interviewees in the film best comes across as a positive role model? Why?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 5, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : July 2, 2013
- Cast : David Simon , Nannie Jeter
- Director : Eugene Jarecki
- Studios : Abramorama , SnagFilms
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Activism
- Run time : 108 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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