Whiplash

Movie review by S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
Whiplash Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Compelling drama about relentless pursuit of perfection.

R 2014 106 minutes

Parents say

age 14+

Based on 27 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 65 reviews

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The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 12+

This was one of the best movies I ever saw

I think this movie was one of the best movies I ever saw .There was some heavy language but I think kids can watch if they are with a parent the movie had a little blood not much .It does have scenes where a teacher beats up a student.It’s about a boy who tries to play drums and when he makes a tiny mistake his teacher gets mad at him .In conclusion this was an amazing story.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
age 13+

Incredible, distressing and complex film about obsession and struggle contains pervasive language, disturbing elements

“Whiplash” is a drama film about a struggling college musician who is desperately trying to start a career in music who plays in the group of Terrence Fletcher, an emotionally abusive instructor who both wants his students to succeed and wants them distressed and pained. VIOLENCE: 4/10 Although not remotely violent, this film contains frequent distressing and emotionally intense scenes of obsessive playing of the drums, to the point where the musicians hands bleed everywhere, have horrible wounds causing blood to spill out etc. and in one specific scene the same boy gets into a car crash while trying to get to his band on time, and although bloody on his face and hands he gets out of the car and continues to his concert and attempts to play on stage but drops the bloody sticks and bleeds everywhere. The entire films premise is intensely distressing and fast moving, and the behavior of the musician and his obsession can be found tense. A boy is repeatedly slapped by his music instructor. A chair is hurled at a boys head but misses. A boy violently punches a hole into his drum set while cursing. Incredibly violent cursing is aimed at young adults and boys in a music room including slurs to cause emotional distress, even leading to a boy committing suicide (discussed, not shown) and the man manipulating his students on how he died. LANGUAGE: 9.6/10 The language is the main and only reason for the R rating, and is pervasive and upsetting. 96 uses of “f*ck” including “motherf*cker”, “f*ther f*cking”, “motherf*cking” and countess other offensive variations. Countless other curses are said such as “sh*t”, “pansy”, “pr*ck”, “c*nt”, “f*ggot”,“c*cksucker”, “b*tch”, “retard”, “mick” and multiple variations of offensive slurs. One use of “milk the c*nt” The language is used in an emotionally abusive manner and is very violent and intense. SEXUAL CONTENT: 5/10 Sexual remarks pertaining to the pervasive language such as “this isn’t your boyfriends d*ck, don’t cum early!” And other remarks similar to that, but milder. OVERALL: Depends on maturity, but in my opinion, 13+

This title has:

Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.

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