Parents' Guide to

The Voices

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Strong gore, language in bizarre but touching comic fantasy.

Movie R 2015 103 minutes
The Voices Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 17+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 18+

The actors are good but the movie itself is not

This is most definitely not something I want my child watching. There is only one comedic character and that's the cat and it's foul language. The rest is not just dark but seriously in need of review before anyone watches it. The acting is great, so much so that it makes me wonder if the cast needed therapy afterwards.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
age 17+

Morbid and disturbing

First of all this movie is under the "comedy section", which there is absolutely Nothing funny about this movie. This movie is one of the most disturbing morbid movies I have Ever seen!!! And what psychopath wierdo would Actually think that this movie is humorous?!?!, I along with a lot of other normal people out there Severely Disagree!!!

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (7 ):

This quirky film is quite a bit more vulgar than you might expect, with over-the-top blood and gore, as well as the cat's salty language (spoken in a Scottish brogue). Iranian-born director Marjane Satrapi published her own unique life story in the comic book Persepolis, made it into an animated feature, and followed it up with the big-hearted tragic romance Chicken with Plums; all of those titles deal in unrealistic situations but are rooted in genuine, powerful emotions. THE VOICES stays true to this path. Thanks to Satrapi's understanding touch and Reynolds' warm, funny performance, Jerry's aching loneliness and regret feel real, and his occasional little victories and connections are moments of beauty. (It was a nice touch for Reynolds to provide all the animal voices, which also include a deer and a sock bunny). Satrapi's visual touches, like the pink of the warehouse and Jerry's bowling alley home (with its alternate fantasy-reality decorating), are both funny and melancholy.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: February 6, 2015
  • On DVD or streaming: April 7, 2015
  • Cast: Ryan Reynolds , Anna Kendrick , Gemma Arterton
  • Director: Marjane Satrapi
  • Inclusion Information: Middle Eastern/North African directors, Female actors
  • Studio: Lionsgate
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 103 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: bloody violence, and for language including sexual references
  • Last updated: June 12, 2023

Inclusion information powered by

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.

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