Parents' Guide to Umjolo: The Gone Girl

Movie NR 2024 92 minutes
Umjolo: The Gone Girl Movie Poster: Black man and woman smile at each other

Common Sense Media Review

Jose Solis By Jose Solis , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Romcom with strong sexual content and language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

Lethu (Shezi Sibongiseni) is a successful wedding planner who seems to have it all. Her life begins to unravel when she discovers that her perfect man, Lucky (Tyson Mathonsi), is sleeping around with other women, including one of Lethu's friends. She must then decide which relationships are worth saving, and whether she can run a successful business creating romance for others when she hasn't been able to find her own happy ending.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

This fast-paced, melodramatic romantic comedy has more twists and turns than a detective mystery, but they are all grounded by a terrific performance by Shezi Sibongiseni as Lethu. In Umjolo: The Gone Girl, she defies romcom notions that women need to be rescued and instead becomes her own "knight in shining armor." The film's kind of humor might not be for everyone, but Sibongiseni's heroine would fit into any culture where women are told they're only worth anything if they have a man by their side.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Lethu's compassion and resilience as she tries to understand Lucky. What would you do if you were in her shoes?

  • How is this a typical romcom? How is it different?

  • How do you think men and women are portrayed in the film? Do they share certain characteristics? Does the film have anything to say about what society expects from each?

Movie Details

  • On DVD or streaming : November 8, 2024
  • Cast : Shezi Sibongiseni , Tyson Mathonsi , Gugu Gumede
  • Director : Fikile Mogodi
  • Inclusion Information : Black Movie Director(s) , African Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , African Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s) , Black Movie Writer(s) , African Movie Writer(s)
  • Studio : Netflix
  • Genre : Romance
  • Run time : 92 minutes
  • MPAA rating : NR
  • Last updated : November 22, 2024

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Umjolo: The Gone Girl Movie Poster: Black man and woman smile at each other

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