Parents' Guide to

The Thinning: New World Order

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Weak sequel more violent than original; language, blood.

Movie NR 2018 83 minutes
The Thinning: New World Order Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • The Thinning: New World Order Movie: Scene #1
  • The Thinning: New World Order Movie: Scene #2
  • The Thinning: New World Order Movie: Scene #3

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Tacoshrimp00returns
Tacoshrimp00returns Adult
July 25, 2019
age 14+

Terrible

The acting was real crumby and the story was really off.

This title has:

Too much violence
RachieBrown
RachieBrown Adult
April 26, 2019
age 15+

Great Plot.... Black Mirror warning!

This film is filled with Disney Actors and Logan Paul. They navigate themselves in a dark, dystopian future. We get to know the characters well enough to care about the ones that are fighting for the world to become a better place. Some of the plot lines are predictable but there are some elements of surprise which keep it interesting.... There are some gruesome parts, but nothing too confronting. I really enjoyed this film and look forward to a next one ( although it seems that some Logan Paul haters have tried to ensure that those in this franchise will not get to act as these characters for a third time) Well done to the writers, directors, producers and all of the actors.... It's not a brilliant blockbuster but a wonderful youtube movie. I will be keeping an eye out for other youtube movies. I hope they are given a chance as they have shown they truly can create entertainment.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE THINNING: NEW WORLD ORDER, due to environmental catastrophe and overpopulation, the UN has required all the countries of the world to reduce their populations by 5 percent. In the United States, this is accomplished through a controversial practice called "The Thinning," in which kids take an annual test, and those who do the worst are taken away to be executed. Blake Redding (Logan Paul), a teen who deliberately failed the test and is now presumed dead, has actually been taken to an underground prison work camp with other teens, engaged in slave labor on the manufacture of smartphones and other technologies. Meanwhile, his father, the governor of Texas and a pro-Thinning candidate, is on the verge of becoming the next President of the United States. Meanwhile, Laina Michaels (Peyton List), working with young resisters trying to stop The Thinning, has gone undercover as a spokesperson for Governor Redding, with the goal of hacking into his computers to find out what really happened to Blake. Her closest ally in this fight is her best friend Kellan, now an ambitious intern for a TV network news channel. While Blake tries to inspire a revolt against the prison labor camp, Laina and Kellan must find a way to show the world that The Thinning is only the beginning, and that the technology corporations are exploiting the practice for their own evil ends.

Is It Any Good?

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

Like most sequels, this isn't as good as the original. There was enough of a premise to the original to give one hope that maybe something fresh and unexpected would emerge, despite the small budget and the apparent belief that haircuts, fashion, and technology will be pretty much the same in 2040 as they are now. But, alas, with The Thinning: New World Order, the truth is revealed: This is an amateurish execution that borrows a little too much from, wait for it, The Hunger Games.

The plot twists are obvious well in advance. And while most of the acting is decent, Logan Paul, when acting and not vlogging, has the emotional range of a narcoleptic flounder. The two concurrent stories -- the prison labor camp and the aboveground resistance to The Thinning -- clash against each other and veer off into too many detours. The result is a story that could have easily been told in one movie, but is apparently going to be stretched out into a trilogy.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the controversies surrounding Logan Paul's vlog. In light of his incredible insensitivity to suicide, should his status as an "internet celebrity" be reinstated after being banned, shunned, and roundly criticized? Should he get a second chance? Do you think this experience will make Paul a more empathetic person moving forward?

  • How do Paul's controversies seem to mirror the very points The Thinning: New World Order is trying to make about technology exploited for cynical and financial gain?

  • Movies set in the future often use the future to address contemporary social and political concerns. How does this movie address issues such as technology, education, and politics to reflect current realities?

Movie Details

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 suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

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