Parents' Guide to

The Oath

ByMichael Ordona,通讯on Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Dark comedy about political divide has violence, language.

Movie R 2018 93 minutes
The Oath Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

BryanGL
BryanGL Adult
August 2, 2020
age 18+

Heavy and very dark.

Provides a fascinating glimpse of the political divide engulfing America in 2020. Too close to the truth to be funny, especially since the plot resolution is less likely than civil war. Too dark for us as adults, likely to be highly distressing to anyone with a moral compass, especially children. More thriller genre than comedy.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

THE OATH takes place in a near-future America in which an unnamed president has instituted a loyalty oath for citizens to sign. The fact that it includes a pledge of support for thepresident, rather than the nation, sets off extreme reactions throughout the country. Meanwhile, liberal Chris (writer-directorIke Barinholtz) and his wife, Kai (Tiffany Haddish), host Thanksgiving for Chris' politically divided family, including his conservative brother, Pat (Jon Barinholtz); Pat's girlfriend, Abbie (Meredith Hagner); and their mellower sister, Alice (Carrie Brownstein). Familial strain gives way to horror as the proceedings take a sudden, dark turn.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say:(1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

A demanding loyalty pledge is a clever device for looking at the kind of divides that are capable of splitting up families, but this comedy's storytelling is uneven.The Oathseems to have its heart in the right place and could even be seen as optimistic despite its sometimes pitch-black tone. It definitely has a leftward (or perhaps non-rightward) bent, depicting some on the conservative side as non-critical thinkers, to say the least. But Ike Barinholtz also doesn't skimp on depicting the obnoxiousness and easy triggering that many complain about regarding liberals, too. In that way, the film is balanced: Almost everyone in it is objectionable in some way.

But the story moves in fits and starts, lurching from confrontation to confrontation. Barinholtz goes perhaps too far in making it clear why even reasonable people tell Chris to shut up. The film's sudden dark turn is the kind of adrenaline shot that focuses you, especially since it featuresJohn Choand the versatileBilly Magnussen. It's also a pleasure to see Haddish in such a sensible role, though Jay Duplass' screen time is all too limited. Brownstein has become a welcome screen presence, injecting calm into the chaos. The film declines to name any current politicians, policies, or events, so it's less an exploration of specific issues than a parable about how terrifyingly easy it is to turn people against one another -- and how even those who believe they have strong moral compasses can be led astray under stress. Without spoiling anything,The Oathcould be interpreted to have a hopeful outlook, that perhaps the time will come when the country wakes up from its current fever dream and reunites, more or less.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the characters' political divide is portrayed inThe Oath.Is one side shown as being completely right and the other completely wrong? What about the behavior of those involved?How can kids navigate contentious politics?

  • How isviolencedepicted in the movie? Is it meant to be funny? Does a movie's tone affectthe impact of violent scenes?

  • After a lot of chaos and fighting, the family unites. What message do you think the film is trying to send?

  • 做you notice anystereotypingin the movie? If so, how did it make you feel?

  • If you were asked to take the movie's loyalty oath, what would you do?

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