Slow Burn

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that although LL Cool J has a small part in this movie, it's not targeted at fans of his children's books or romantic comedies. Slow moving and visually stylized, the film features frequent blood and violence (mostly with guns, plus a couple of explosions), as well as frank discussions of sex (several scenes show nude body parts). The movie's weighty, complex theme of racial "passing" connects to other forms of double crossing and corruption. Discussion of drugs in relation to investigations; profanity includes multiple uses of "f--k," "s--t," "ass," and more.

Sexual Content

Several passionate kissing scenes (without nudity); woman appears in shower (behind blurry glass door); several sex scenes shot in soft-filter close-up (a couple of scenes are set in beds, while one takes place on a desk; in one scene, breasts are momentarily visible); glimpse of tattoo on woman's bottom before her lover kisses it; brief cleavage; a couple of shots of a man's bare bottom.

Violence

Early shot of dead body with bloody gunshot wound in head; blood on murder suspect's face; flashback to a rape scene shows a man grabbing a woman and her screaming; discussion of a rape exam; many characters carry and shoot guns; cops shoot at fleeing suspects (later viewers learn they're dead); cops bust through a door; fighting and pushing between individual men; riot scene shows burning buildings and people rushing around; gas explosion takes out a city block.

Language

Language includes the usual cop-movie fare: several uses of "f--k" (once in French), as well as "ass," "hell," and "s--t," "damn," and "son of a bitch." The "N" word is used by African-American characters.

Social Behavior

Everyone (cops, lawyers, and criminals) lies; several characters have secret identities; much discussion of racial "passing" (the term "wigger" is used in that context).

Consumerism

References to Vanity Fair magazine, Oprah, Tiger Woods, Regis Philbin, Michael Jordan, Die Hard, Sotheby's, Tupac.

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Drinking at parties; cigars and cigarettes smoked; repeated references to drugs in context of investigations, including "feeling high," "rock," "crackheads," and "busted for drugs."

This information for parents is provided by Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving kids' media lives.

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