Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Effective, horrifying drama about Guantanamo Bay prison.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Mauritanian
What's the Story?
In THE MAURITANIAN, Mohamedou Ould Salahi (Tahar Rahim) is taken from his home and eventually winds up imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay. He's accused of being one of the architects of the 9/11 attacks but isn't charged. After three years, lawyer Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) decides to take his case, and brings along junior associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley) as a translator and assistant. Lt. Col. Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch), who lost an old Marine buddy on 9/11, is recruited to prosecute Salahi. As all the parties dig into the case, they begin to find corruption running deeper and darker than anyone imagined.
Is It Any Good?
Based on harrowing true events, this drama has too many moving parts that don't really move much, and it never feels very important or very emotional, but the fine cast at least makes it watchable. Directed by Oscar-winning documentarian Kevin Macdonald (One Day in September), The Mauritanian feels somewhat similar to Macdonald's other based-on-a-true-story drama, The Last King of Scotland. It's professional and well acted, if rather blandly serious and without much personality. At least it makes Salahi something of a major character, with his own agenda, rather than someone who appears only through the eyes of White characters. And Rahim (best known for the Oscar-nominated French movie A Prophet) is strikingly good.
Foster plays Hollander with no-nonsense energy, having a little fun shooting wry grins at the other characters, who can't believe that she can pull this off. Cumberbatch shows up with a surprising Southern accent, projecting decency and goodness even though he starts the story from a place of revenge and on the "wrong" side. Indeed, The Mauritanian seems to assume that Salahi is innocent -- or at least, even if he's not, that the U.S. government is also guilty. The movie offers some information about the horrific conditions at Gitmo and references to how Hollander and Duncan's work would have made them look like traitors. More of these kinds of elements might have elevated the drama, but as it stands, the movie does just what it needs to do to get its point across.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Mauritanian's violence. Why is torture so hard to watch and hear about? How does it compare to other types of violence you've seen on-screen?
What did you learn from this movie? How accurate do you think it is compared to what happened? What things do you think might have been changed to make it more dramatic?
Do you consider Nancy a role model? What are her strengths and weaknesses?
What effects did 9/11 have on Americans and their attitude toward people from other countries and cultures? Have things changed since the attacks?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 12, 2021
- On DVD or streaming : March 2, 2021
- Cast : Tahar Rahim , Jodie Foster , Benedict Cumberbatch , Shailene Woodley
- Director : Kevin Macdonald
- Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : STX Entertainment
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 129 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence including a sexual assault, and language
- Award : Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
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