Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that teens might be interested in this odd sci-fi dramedy from the director of Donnie Darko thanks to stars like Sarah Michelle Gellar, The Rock, and Seann William Scott. But it's gory, profane, and definitely not for kids. Guns are drawn (and shot) repeatedly, one female lead is a porn star (she and her compatriots are scantily clad, though never actually nude), and the world appears to be falling apart (as evidenced by explosions, drinking, drug use, and more). Language is strong and frequent, including "f--k," "s--t," and many more. All in all, it's a confused, chaotic, adults-only mess (albeit with some impressive cinematography and decent pacing).

Sexual Content

Scantily clad female porn stars prance around and frankly discuss world affairs and their business. A married man hooks up with one of them (no outright nudity). Another woman, also scantily clad, French-kisses her boss. A car is shown copulating with another vehicle (yes, you read that right).

Violence

Unrelenting. It starts with a bomb going off and includes many shootings (some up close), a hit and run, a soldier running around with one eye shot out, and a massive climactic explosion.

Language

You name it, they say it (and frequently, too): "s--t," "a--hole," "c--k," "dick," and the ubiquitous "f--k."

Social Behavior

Nearly everyone behaves badly -- cheating, lying, stealing, and killing. Some racial epithets are used. That said, Gellar and Johnson's characters appear to have hearts of gold.

Consumerism

Lots of brands and products -- though, for the most part, they're not real ones. For example, the logo of fictional government agency USIDent is constantly flashed onscreen; a TV channel, a la CNN, becomes part of the storytelling; and a carmaker's commercial runs repeatedly.

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Southland residents shoot up at a moment's notice using mechanized syringes. There's tons of drinking, and, in the end, the streets are riddled with inebriated people.