Common Sense Media Review
By James Rocchi
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent, complex Iraq war drama is rough, tough, thrilling.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Hurt Locker
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 13 parent reviews
Based on 33 kid reviews
Kids say that this film is intense and well-crafted, offering a raw and realistic portrayal of war, but it is filled with graphic violence and strong language, making it unsuitable for younger viewers. While some viewers appreciate the thrilling and gripping aspects of the story and performances, others find the violent content and complex themes overwhelming, leading to mixed feelings about its acclaimed status.
- intense portrayal
- graphic violence
- strong language
- unsuitable for kids
- mixed reviews
- great performances
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Set in 2004, THE HURT LOCKER follows the day-to-day work of the soldiers in an Army Explosives Ordinance Demolition (EOD) team -- aka the bomb squad -- as they find and defuse the improvised explosive devices that are the Iraq insurgency's most effective weapon. As new team leader Sgt. James (Jeremy Renner) works alongside Sgt. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), audiences get an insight into the minds and hearts of these soldiers -- and how, for some of them, life in the Army dealing with explosives feels easier to handle than life in the civilian world dealing with everything else.
Is It Any Good?
Combining intellectual and philosophical ambition with gut-wrenching, visceral action, The Hurt Locker is unquestionably one of the best films of 2009. It's also a great movie, period, full of excitement, action, graveyard comedy, and brilliant filmmaking technique.
Director Kathyn Bigelow (Point Break, Strange Days) co-scripted The Hurt Locker with journalist Mark Boal, who was embedded with Army EOD soldiers in 2004; the realism of the script and staging doesn't impede the movie's excitement and dramatic satisfaction but rather makes it all the more rewarding. The characters are real and their situation is real -- and that matter-of-fact approach to the material makes it even more excruciating as James and his men try to figure out how to dismantle bombs in circumstances where failure means death for dozens of people. Yes, The Hurt Locker is violent and tense and bloody, but so is war. Gripping, exciting, and matching brains with brawn, The Hurt Locker's shattering explosions and quieter questions will both echo in your head long after it's done.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's violence. How does what's shown here compare to the explosions and shoot-'em-up scenes of more mainstream Hollywood blockbusters? Which has more impact?
How does the movie portray the United States' invasion of Iraq? Is it different from the way it's been presented in other movies and TV shows? How so?
Is Sgt. James a hero or a fool? Does he take unnecessary risks or necessary ones? Does his attachment to a local Iraqi boy improve either of their lives?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 26, 2009
- On DVD or streaming : January 12, 2010
- Cast : Evangeline Lilly , Guy Pearce , Ralph Fiennes
- Director : Kathryn Bigelow
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Summit Entertainment
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 131 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : war violence and language
- Last updated : March 14, 2020
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