Whiplash Movie Poster Image

Whiplash

age 15+
(i)

 

Compelling drama about relentless pursuit of perfection.
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  • Review Date: October 8, 2014
  • Rated: R
  • Genre: Drama
  • Release Year: 2014
  • Running Time: 106 minutes

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What parents need to know

Positive messages

Hard work will get you where you want to go -- just make sure you don't lose yourself along the way.

Positive role models

Andrew is single-minded in his pursuit of perfection. And though he veers into unhealthy territory, there's something to be said for his determination and work ethic.

Violence

A conductor is exacting to the point of cruelty. He belittles his students, calls them names, and hurls homophobic insults. He also slaps a student repeatedly and hurls a chair at him. News of a student's suicide circulates. A drummer practices so hard that his fingers bleed all over the drums. A character gets into a horrible car accident and suffers a bloody gash and bruises.

Sex

Some flirting; sexual references.

Language

Hateful homophobic language is hurled at students, including "f----t" and "pansy." Additional swearing abounds, including "s--t," "f--k," "bitch," "c--ksucker," "d--k," "ass," "motherf--ker," and "c--t."

Consumerism

Some labels/products seen, including Samsung.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Social drinking by college students.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that although Whiplash is a coming-of-age movie of sorts, it's also a searing, powerful, and -- for younger viewers -- possibly disturbing portrait of a talented young man under the tutelage of a brilliant but seemingly heartless mentor. The older man is smart and almost always right about his advice, but his tactics are brutal, from cruel name-calling (which involves tons of swearing, including "s--t," "f--k," a flurry of homophobic insults, and much more) to relentless nitpicking in his quest for perfection. Other issues to be aware of: There's a massive car accident that causes injuries, a student's suicide is mentioned, and the main character, Andrew, is so involved in his drumming that he literally draws blood. Clearly he's focused, and he works hard to achieve his goals, which is a strong example for teens -- just remind them not to lose themselves in the pursuit of perfection.

What's the story?

Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is a talented drummer -- talented enough to make it into Manhattan's prestigious music conservatory, Schaffer Academy. There's no bigger badge of approval at Schaffer than to be invited to join its elite jazz band, which is run by the tough and mysterious Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Fletcher has groomed some of jazz's best players, but pleasing him is a minefield. Fletcher's methods include -- among other, more traditional methods like pedagogy and charismatic history-sharing -- complete and utter humiliation. He's of the break-you-down-to-build-you-up (if at all) school of teaching. Andrew is thrilled to make the initial cut, but surviving Fletcher's class may break him, and his love for music, for good.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Teller's total investment in his performance means viewers are no longer just viewers; we're also witnesses, and it's this intensity that makes writer-director Damien Chazelle's film so memorable. We pay little mind to its shortcomings: the unnecessary romance (which fails to flesh out Andrew but does expose his own cruelty) and the unfortunate impenetrability of Fletcher's (played brilliantly by Simmons) motives for his madness. Whiplash is both a refreshing, respectful ode to the beauty that is jazz music and a very compelling look at the horror that is a mentor-mentee relationship gone distressingly awry.

There's a particular scene in WHIPLASH when Andrew is hunched over the drums, aching to get through what may be the most important performance of his life. His hands are moving on their own steam, his body seized with tension and pain, his will driven to its limit. But he will not, he will not, he will not quit, and it's as if Teller has become his character, determined to make his mark with this movie, even if it kills him.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about why Andrew wants to work with Fletcher. Why do you think any of the kids yearn to be in his band when he's so hard to work with?

  • What's Whiplash's take on achievement and the road to success? Is it worth all the trouble? Fletcher makes great points about being complacent, but how does he cross the line?

  • Talk to your kids about what to look for in a mentor or a teacher. Is it OK for teachers to use unconventional tactics to motivate students? When should you worry -- and if that happens, what should you do?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:October 10, 2014
DVD release date:February 24, 2015
Cast:J.K. Simmons, Miles Teller
Director:Damien Chazelle
Studio:Sony Pictures Classics
Genre:Drama
Topics:Arts and dance, Misfits and underdogs
Run time:106 minutes
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:strong language including some sexual references
Awards/Honors:Academy Award, Common Sense Seal, Golden Globe

This review of Whiplash was written by

S. Jhoanna Robledo
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging; great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging; good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging; good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging; OK learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Adult Written byB-KMastah October 24, 2014
age 14+

Tight editing and directing and incredible performances make this one of the year's best.

It's now official: Miles Teller is an absolutely incredible actor. Here he surpasses his previously terrific performance in The Spectacular Now, and will without a doubt earn an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. In a fair world, he would win. First of all, he's actually drumming here, and second, he legitimately brought tears of anxiousness to my eyes. Between his acting and the film's precise, strong direction, the film works as a thriller as well as a drama. The script is strong and its characters are subtly built up. Both the screenplay and the performances know that Teller's character could break at any second; even the characters know this. The direction and editing create a constant state of anxiety and suppressed anger. The cuts are clean and quick to illustrate the perfectionism of J.K. Simmons's character and hold on long and almost painful takes that help demonstrate the mental strain of our protagonist. The use of music is fitting and never overbearing, which is quite surprising given how easy it would be to rely on jazz and/or drumming to tell the audience what to feel. What we get instead are two characters constantly clashing heads, letting the filmmaking do genuine work. The basic premise and themes here are comparable to a Darren Aronofsky film--a painfully dedicated person's obsession with perfection growingly forebodes a possible mental breakdown. The difference here, though, is the question that it asks. Without spoiling anything, the audience begins to wonder, "At what point is chasing a potential goal not worth it?" After watching the emotional torment that the main character endures and seeing how his personal life has been affected, the ending isn't really the point of the movie. It's what could happen after the end of the movie that matters, and the preceding 101 minutes lead to that question. It's rare that a movie can simultaneously give me goosebumps and make my lips quiver, but this one succeeded thoroughly. This is one of the best movies of the year with two performances that I could see facing each other in the same Oscar category. 9.5/10, incredible, two thumbs up, so so so far above average, etc.
What other families should know
Too much swearing
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Teen, 15 years old Written byTheHonestMan February 24, 2015
age 14+

Fantastic movie.

I think that this is in the best movie of 2014. I think that this movie is appropriate for mature 13 and 14 year old's. This movie does not contain any uses of drugs,consumerism and sex but it does contain bad language and a bit of violence. Words such as fuck,shit,ass hole and the c word. There are many emotional moments in the movie. The main character is pushed to the limit by his drumming teacher, "Dr. Fletcher" who is a man that uses profanity and shouts at his students and emotionally challenges them to do the best they can at their musical instrument. Overall this is a fantastic movie and has won my movie of the year.
What other families should know
Too much swearing
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Adult Written byBestPicture1996 November 29, 2014
age 15+

Electric, with an Oscar-worthy duo at the forefront

This intense, emotionally punishing movie never lets you out of its hold. With Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons putting in some career-best work, it'd be hard not to. Though my one flaw with this movie is wishing that director Damien Chazelle went a little more in depth into the lives of Andrew and Fletcher, I'm just thankful we got to see these characters on the big screen. Teller is excellent as introvert Andrew, but it's Simmons' movie, as his relentlessly abusive, ferocious and venomously profane Fletcher pushes each of his students to their limits. I knew a Fletcher once in my life, and watching this movie hit me right in the emotions. As Fletcher's madness takes up all of Andrew's time, he begins to lose himself and only searches for greatness, leaving everything else by the wayside. This is a great study in the search of perfection, and of course, features jazzy music and a stunning drum solo from Teller, who won't be nominated for the Oscar but should. Simmons however, is the one to beat, and expect his name to be called to the podium.
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Too much swearing
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