What we flagged
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Our take
A hospital doctor starts asking why a patient's body has disappeared and finds people determined to stop him. Extreme Measures mixes chases and shootings with medical scenes that are unsettling in a different way. Strong swearing and a kidnapping keep the pressure on. We would start at US R.
Uplifting themes
The film argues that doing the right thing matters even when it costs you your career and your safety. It also insists that ordinary patients deserve to be treated as people, not test subjects The young doctor is brave and curious and stands up for people who cannot speak for themselves. He also makes some reckless choices, and the senior surgeon he looks up to turns out to be a dangerous example Raises questions about medical ethics and who pays the price when science runs ahead of morals. It can start a good conversation with teens about research and consent
Story (may spoil tone)
Guy Luthan, a British doctor working at a hospital in New York, starts making unwelcome enquiries when the body of a man who died in his emergency room disappears. After the trail leads Luthan to the door of an eminent surgeon at the hospital, Luthan soon finds himself in extreme danger from people who want the hospital's secret to remain undiscovered.
What we flagged
Details
Violence A shooting early on sets the film off, then come chases, threats, and s…
A shooting early on sets the film off, then come chases, threats, and several violent confrontations as the doctor is hunted. Guns are used and people are killed, but the pace is more tense than gory
Language Strong swearing is frequent from the early hospital scenes onward, with…
Strong swearing is frequent from the early hospital scenes onward, with the f-word and s-word in street and ward settings. Insults like a-hole come up often in arguments
Sex / nudity Early on, two naked men run through the street. Their backsides are vis…
Early on, two naked men run through the street. Their backsides are visible, and the camera also shows them from the front, though their crotches are in shadow. The later flirting is brief
Drugs / alcohol Heroin, cocaine, and heavy drinking feature in the story, including a b…
Heroin, cocaine, and heavy drinking feature in the story, including a bag of cocaine that is used against the doctor and street patients struggling with addiction. Drug use is part of the plot and is not shown in detail
Frightening Being hunted by powerful people, a kidnapping, and a long chase keep th…
Being hunted by powerful people, a kidnapping, and a long chase keep the tension high, and the secret medical experiments are creepy. A few scenes build slow dread before anything happens
Gore / death / weapons Operations and experiments leave patients with visible wounds, and some…
Operations and experiments leave patients with visible wounds, and some bodies are shown. Blood is limited, but a few images are unpleasant and can linger with squeamish viewers
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- The doctor keeps asking questions even when it puts him at risk. When is it worth speaking up, and what might it cost you?
- The story asks how far medicine should go in the search for cures. Where would you draw the line, and why?
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Extreme Measures
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