Parents' Guide to

The Infiltrator

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Great performances in very violent true-crime story.

Movie R 2016 127 minutes
The Infiltrator Poster Image

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Is It Any Good?

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Kids say (1):

The acting is good, and the story is well-told, but this film is more serviceable than extraordinary. Director Brad Furman sometimes copies better films, but he also fumbles many scenes via poor choices. Certain moments -- long tracking shots accompanied by cool pop songs -- recall Martin Scorsese or Brian De Palma at their most stylish, but at other times, Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer, Runner, Runner) tends to fall back on clumsy, shaky, poorly staged shots.

Directorial flaws aside, Furman is at least blessed with a good story and an interesting character in Mazur, which gives the talented Cranston (Breaking Bad) some powerful moments. The supporting cast isn't forgotten, either, and The Infiltrator satisfyingly fleshes out several other characters, making the entire 1980s criminal canvas that much richer. Of course, The Infiltrator never questions whether all this activity actually did any good, but perhaps that's a subject for another movie.

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