Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Wetware

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Some violence in inert, misguided sci-fi robot story.

Movie NR 2020 105 minutes
Wetware Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

WETWARE takes place in the near future, when citizens who have nothing left to live for can volunteer to become genetically modified in order to work in tough, dangerous jobs. They're called "Mungos," and they're generally treated with prejudice. Their designer, Hal Briggs (Cameron Scoggins), has come up with an even more advanced method that could turn these people into soldiers and spies. He's created two prototypes, Jack (Bret Lada) and Kay (Morgan Wolk) -- but unfortunately, he's also developed an attraction to Kay and has modified her program to coax her into loving him back. Before anything can happen, Kay's new programming inspires her and Jack to escape.

Is It Any Good?

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

This cold, inert, misguided sci-fi story starts with a peculiar idea that never takes hold and then never really moves; it's mostly dull talk about the supposed meaning of it all. There's no discussion or explanation in Wetware as to why anyone would ever volunteer to become a Mungo, deliberately leaving behind their memories and identities. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind took a far more beautiful, meaningful deep-dive into this same theme and determined that it's not a good idea. Plus, the so-called spy/love robots are shown to be rather ineffectual, and the scenes of fighting and loving are curiously flat.

Even Jerry O'Connell, easily the movie's most recognizable actor (he's prominently featured in the marketing materials), just plays a banker who spends the entire movie trying to decide whether or not to buy the new technology; he basically sits and has glum chats with others. Wetware is also highly indebted to Blade Runner, and it pays homage to that film in many ways, from its opening crawl with certain words colored red to a use of the offensive phrase "skin jobs." But no amount of slowness, attempts at artful lighting, or weird effects like a "snowfall" inside Jack and Kay's chamber can make it come even close to that cinematic landmark.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Wetware's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it designed to shock, or thrill? How can you tell? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • How is sex depicted? How do the characters relate to one another? Is there trust? What values are imparted?

  • Why do you think anyone would volunteer to become a Mungo? Why might someone want to give up their memories and identity?

  • How does this movie relate to the Frankenstein theme about humans "playing God" and meddling where they shouldn't?

  • What's the appeal of "dystopian" movies that show how badly things might go in the future? What can we learn from them?

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