Parents' Guide to

Whiplash

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Compelling drama about relentless pursuit of perfection.

Movie R 2014 106 minutes
Whiplash Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 14+

Based on 27 parent reviews

tkovats
tkovats Parent of 9-year-old
January 10, 2023
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.
BlitzGuy20
BlitzGuy20 Parent of 8-year-old
May 2, 2021
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.
See all 27 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In WHIPLASH, 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?

Our review:
Parents say (27):
Kids say (66):

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Andrew wants to work with Fletcher in Whiplash. 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?

  • How do the characters in Whiplash demonstrate perseverance? Why is this an important character strength?

Movie Details

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