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Parents' Guide to

Triple 9

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Complex, vivid crime story; very strong violence, language.

Movie R 2016 115 minutes
Triple 9 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 16+

Based on 4 parent reviews

ThisIsTed419
ThisIsTed419 Adult
July 4, 2019
age 16+

Not hard to figure out

Triple 9 was well acted with tons of action scenes added to it. There is a lot of parts in it that anyone under 16 shouldn't know or see. Language is as usual in a type of crime/cop movie. Violence is not as bad as you would think. It's that type of movie that was not in theater long but became to be a good outcome for watching it. Recomend it to anyone who likes good cop:bad cop movies.
Rabee24
Rabee24 Adult
September 4, 2016
age 16+

This title has:

Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Terrell Tompkins (Chiwetel Ejiofor) leads a team of professional criminals and crooked cops. He once married into a family of Russian-Jewish mobsters and now, in order to keep seeing his son, must placate their evil, ice-cold matriarch (Kate Winslet) by pulling off a nearly impossible robbery. Things become complicated when dirty cop Marcus Atwood (Anthony Mackie) gets a new partner, Chris Allen (Casey Affleck), a war veteran whose uncle (Woody Harrelson) is a sergeant detective on the force. The gang decides that, in order to pull off the job, they must cause a code 999 -- "officer down" -- to happen ... and that Chris is the perfect target. But another team member, Gabe (Aaron Paul), has been talking too much.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (9 ):

Establishing himself as a director of tough genre films, John Hillcoat offers this multi-faceted, devilishly complex crime thriller without wasting any time on needless background. Ragged and colorful, TRIPLE 9 -- the title comes from the police code for "officer down" -- doesn't offer any expository background for its characters. What's there is observed and inferred through behavior and interaction; the characters come alive organically.

Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road, Lawless) does a remarkable job of juggling all the characters; even those with smaller roles have vivid personalities. But the complex plot can sometimes fall prey to the movie's melting-pot quality. It's easy to lose track of things. Likewise, the action sequences, while appropriately raw, have a reckless quality that might be disorienting. But this is a strong piece of work, rugged, sturdy, and entertaining in the best way.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Triple 9's violence. What effect does it have? Is it thrilling or shocking? How much is shown/not shown? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • What role do sex and nudity play in the movie? Are characters objectified, or are they seen as loving partners? What message does that send?

  • How are drinking, smoking, and drugs portrayed in the movie? Do they look cool or appealing? Are there consequences for their use?

  • How are characters painted in "shades of gray" here? Who are the "good guys" and "bad guys"? What sets them apart from each other? Are any of them role models?

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