The Fall Guy (PG-13)
Age 13+
High-octane thrills in rom-com with action violence and drugs.
“The Fall Guy” is a big, boomy action-comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Like the 1980s TV series it’s based on, the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, poking fun at Hollywood while celebrating the hard, often unrecognized work of stunt performers. Gosling’s Colt has a life-threatening injury in the beginning of the movie (though the accident itself isn’t shown), but, beyond that, stunt work is made to look really cool, even aspirational. The movie was directed by former stunt performer David Leitch, who is known for creating some of the industry’s best action sequences, and it has tons of action violence and peril, as well as a glimpse of a dead body and another implied death. But viewers are constantly reminded that most of the physical fights, attacks, shootouts, car crashes, explosions, and — of course — giant jumps, car rolls and falls are stunts. Drug use is part of the storyline, and while it’s not presented in a positive light, the consequences are funny. Characters also drink (beer, tequila shots, champagne) and swear (“s---,” “goddamn,” “a--hole” and more, plus one use of “f---ing”), and the movie includes flirting and kissing. There are clear messages about persistence and integrity, as well as the importance of honest communication. (126 minutes)
Available in theaters.
The Idea of You (R)
Age 15+
Book-based romance has a few steamy scenes, language.
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“The Idea of You” is based on the novel of the same name by Robinne Lee about the unexpected romance between 40-year-old mom Solène (Anne Hathaway) and 24-year-old pop star Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine). There’s no graphic nudity, but sex scenes include kissing, undressing, removing a woman’s undergarments, intimate touching, rolling around in bed and the suggestion of orgasm. There’s also talk of an orgy, penis pictures and sleeping around. The characters’ age difference leads to some online bullying and harassment: Solène is called a “cougar,” “Yoko Ono 2.0,” a “b----,” a “whore” and more, and Hayes is accused of having “mommy issues.” Solène’s teenage daughter is also trolled. Language also includes “f---,” “f---boy,” “s---,” “screwing,” “sleazy” and “creep.” Adults drink alcohol, and there are some heated verbal exchanges. (115 minutes)
Available on Prime Video.
Challengers (R)
Age 15+
Smart, sexy tennis drama revels in desire and competition.
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“Challengers” is a sexy sports drama starring Zendaya as Tashi, a tennis prodigy who meets best friends and doubles partners Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor) at a juniors championship, kicking off a lusty love triangle that still affects all of them 13 years later. Directed by “Call Me By Your Name’s” Luca Guadagnino, the movie has plenty of the filmmaker’s signature eroticism, including passionate kissing, sex, adultery, full-frontal nudity in locker room shower scenes and close-ups of bodies in motion. The movie also has frequent strong language (“f---,” “s---,” “a--hole,” etc.), drinking and smoking (by both teens and adults), and a whole lot of product placement (Head, Wilson, Adidas, Nike, Fila, Apple, etc.). There are also some nasty sports injuries and skirmishes between characters. (131 minutes)
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Turtles All the Way Down (PG-13)
Age 13+
Emotional YA adaptation has themes of mental health, grief.
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“Turtles All the Way Down” is based on John Green’s book about a teenager whose mental illnesses complicate her life and relationships. There’s some violence, including self-inflicted, as well as strong language (“s---,” “hell,” “damn”), kissing, teens swimming in underwear and sex-related conversations (being “hot,” “porn music,” doing “the nasty”). The main character, Aza (Isabela Merced), regularly gets overwhelmed by invasive negative thoughts. To make herself feel better, she washes her hands, picks at a callus on her finger until it bleeds, changes bandages and uses hand sanitizer. In some scenes, she puts the sanitizer in her mouth to try to kill bacteria she envisions she’s ingested. Aza’s father died when she was young, and a friend’s mother died when he was young — and now his father is also missing. Characters wind up in the hospital after a serious car crash, and a character is believed to have died via suicide. There are messages about learning to live with mental illness, friends sticking by friends, and parents being present for and supportive of their kids. Aza, her best friend and her mother are all complex Latinas. (111 minutes)
Available on Max.
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