Parents' Guide to

The International

By James Rocchi, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Gritty '70s-style thriller is cynical, grim, and violent.

Movie R 2009 118 minutes
The International Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 3 parent reviews

FewGoodMovies O.
FewGoodMovies O. Parent
March 21, 2022
age 14+

Worth watching but not for young ones

More truth that what one would like to admit. Lot of violence. Definitely not for the younger ones. good movie with some twists.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
uytt2
uytt2 Adult
November 5, 2009
age 11+

worth watching in theaters

this movie is really good better than i thought becuse the trailer looked stupid really a bank is higher than the authorities bull crap. Not to violent good script and suspenful parts meade this movie very good

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE INTERNATIONAL, Manhattan D.A. Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) and Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) are working a long, difficult case to try to bring a massively corrupt bank to justice. It's too bad that everyone who speaks out against the bank or offers to come forward with information about its gun-running, money-laundering, arms-dealing activities disappears or suddenly dies. ...

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (5):

This film is cynical, conspiracy-minded, and refreshingly down-to-the-ground. Directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), The International is a throwback to '70s thrillers like Three Days of the Condor and The Parallax View -- mean, methodically made movies with a strong cynical streak and no built-in guarantee that good will triumph over evil.

And yet you do find yourself a little torn watching The International; much like Michael Clayton, it's a film that promises rock-'em-sock-'em thrills in the trailer and ad campaign and then provides a much more dramatic, disquieting experience. But unlike Michael Clayton, The International never quite catches -- in part thanks to a gripping action sequence set at the Guggenheim in New York that makes everything else feel a little anticlimactic. Still, The International has a moral and intellectual backbone that elevates it far above most modern thrillers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether the violence in this movie seems more realistic than in other thrillers. Why or why not? Do you think watching realistic violence in the media has more impact than sci-fi/fantasy action? Families can also discuss whether situation in the movie seems realistic. Is it upsetting to think of institutions like banks being involved in illegal activities? Is the movie more unsettling given the current state of the economy? Also, is there ever a time when it's appropriate to go outside the law to deal with a crime? What consequences could that have?

Movie Details

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