What we flagged
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Our take
A mother discovers that the life she has forgotten involved being a trained killer. The Long Kiss Goodnight has sharp jokes and fast action, but the gun and knife fights, torture and explosions are strong. Crude references to sexual violence come up, and her daughter is in danger near the end. We would keep this for MA 15+ and up.
Uplifting themes
A mother fights to protect her child and chooses who she wants to be over who she used to be. Loyalty and love matter here, though most problems are solved with force Samantha is brave, resourceful, and devoted to her daughter, but she kills without hesitation. Her detective partner is a loyal if rough-edged ally who sticks around when things get dangerous
Story (may spoil tone)
Samantha Caine is a small-town schoolteacher and mom with no memory of her life before washing up on a beach eight years ago. After a car accident and a violent home invasion trigger flashes of her past, she discovers she used to be a deadly CIA assassin. Teaming up with a wisecracking private investigator, Samantha must return to her old ways to take down the people who tried to erase her.
What we flagged
Details
Violence Gunfights, knife attacks, car chases, and explosions run through the fi…
Gunfights, knife attacks, car chases, and explosions run through the film, and an early home invasion and a torture scene are hard going. The tone is jokey and stylised, but many people die and the heroine hits back with lethal force
Language Strong swearing is constant, with the f-word and s-word flying in argum…
Strong swearing is constant, with the f-word and s-word flying in arguments and one-liners. Crude threats about prison assault turn up too, along with plenty of a-hole and b-word insults
Sex / nudity There are crude sex jokes and a brief scene with a sex worker on top of…
There are crude sex jokes and a brief scene with a sex worker on top of a man, apparently having sex. A woman is seen naked twice, with her breasts covered by her arms; part of her backside is visible in one scene. It is more than talk and a few kisses
Drugs / alcohol Characters smoke and drink at bars and at home, and one is shown drunk…
Characters smoke and drink at bars and at home, and one is shown drunk for a laugh. Nobody is shown struggling with it, and drinking is mostly background colour for the story
Frightening A home invasion, a kidnapping, and a long tense chase keep the pressure…
A home invasion, a kidnapping, and a long tense chase keep the pressure high, and the torture scene is hard to sit through. The jokes ease things a little, but the final stretch is loud and frightening
Sexual violence A couple of crude lines about rape and prison assault come up in angry…
A couple of crude lines about rape and prison assault come up in angry or joking dialogue. Nothing like that is shown on screen, but the words are blunt and some families will want to talk about them
Child peril / abuse Samantha's young daughter is threatened by armed men and later kidnappe…
Samantha's young daughter is threatened by armed men and later kidnapped, which puts her in real danger as the film heads to its finale. She is rescued, but the scenes are tense and could upset younger viewers
Gore / death / weapons Shootings and stabbings leave blood and bodies on screen, and guns and…
Shootings and stabbings leave blood and bodies on screen, and guns and knives feature in almost every set-piece. The gore is more than incidental, even with the bounce and humour of the action
Dangerous behaviour Knife throwing, fast driving, and weapon skills are shown as cool and u…
Knife throwing, fast driving, and weapon skills are shown as cool and useful, and the heroine shrugs off injuries that would be serious in real life. Younger viewers might take the stunts at face value
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
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Talk after watching
- Samantha has to decide whether she is the teacher she remembers or the killer she used to be. What makes a person who they are?
- The action is full of jokes and one-liners. How does humour change the way violent scenes feel to you?
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The Long Kiss Goodnight
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