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The Son of No One Review

Movies.com Critics

0.5

Grae Drake Profile

Guilty of mindslaughter. Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 2.0
    36

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Generally unfavorable reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 30

    out of 100

    The New York Times Stephen Holden

    The Son of No One self-destructs in a ludicrous, ineptly directed anticlimactic rooftop showdown in which bodies pile up, and nothing makes a shred of sense.

    Read Full Review

  • 30

    out of 100

    Variety Rob Nelson

    In this case, Montiel's awkward appropriation of gritty crime-drama conventions results in a film that's contrived and implausible, at times absurdly so.

    Read Full Review

  • 30

    out of 100

    Wall Street Journal John Anderson

    Despite all the nervous tension, the central drama is flawed - Jonathan isn't trying to find a killer. He is the killer. Something is lacking in the dramatic equation.

    Read Full Review

  • 42

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

    The more that secret comes out, the more incoherent (and ludicrous) the film gets.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    Here's a bad movie with hardly a bad scene. How can that be? The construction doesn't flow. The story doesn't engage. The insistent flashbacks are distracting. The plot has problems it sidesteps. Yet here is a gifted cast doing what it's asked to do. The failure is in the writing and editing.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter

    Performances are strong across the board, and the movie offers a solid sense of place. But the mysteries, once explained, don't make a lot of sense.

    Read Full Review

  • 60

    out of 100

    Village Voice Melissa Anderson

    Tatum is touching as the stressed, decent provider trying to make something bad from his past not destroy his future. Yet the real surprise is Tracy Morgan, in a small but transformative role as the heavily medicated adult incarnation of Jonathan's childhood friend.

    Read Full Review

  • See all The Son of No One reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 17+

Gritty, violent NYC drama is for adults only.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this gritty police drama set in New York City in the months following 9/11 begins (in flashback) as a scared, cornered young boy shoots and kills a violent man and then accidentally kills another man. There's a good deal of blood, plus several more killings later in the movie and strong verbal violence. Sexual content is limited to once scene, but it's a very disturbing one in which a grown man gives oral sex to a pre-teen boy (the act is shown from a distance, and the man's head is seen hovering over the boy's crotch). Language is nearly constant, with "f--k" in almost every sentence.

  • Families can talk about the film's violence. Is it necessary to the story? How would such a violent childhood affect the main character growing up?
  • Do you consider any of the characters role models? Are they intended to be?
  • Did the police do the right thing in trying to protect Jonathan and cover up his crimes? Is it true that no one cares about his victims?

The good stuff
  • message true0

    Messages: The movie's main point seems to be that you can get away with murder if you're a good person.

  • rolemodels true0

    Role models: The main character seems to be a good and genuinely caring person, though he has two murders on his conscience, which has left him introverted and selfish. His wife also seems to be good, although she spends most of the movie yelling at her husband. The rest of the characters range from vaguely shady to completely corrupt.

What to watch for
  • violence false4

    Violence: Five on-screen murders and one off-screen murder. Four of them are by gunshot, and blood is shown spurting. There's also a huge puddle of blood from one corpse. A scared, cornered kid shoots and kills one of the victims and accidentally causes the death of another. All of these murders are life-changing events for the main character. There are also many scenes of arguments, yelling, and violent tension, and a man kicks a dog.

  • sex false4

    Sex: One very vivid, disturbing scene: A grown man gives oral sex to a pre-teen boy. Viewers see the act from a distance, and the man's head is shown hovering over the boy's crotch. Another boy witnesses this act.

  • language false5

    Language: Very, very strong language includes "f--k" or "motherf----r" in almost every sentence. "S--t," "p---y," "a--hole," "ass," "goddamn," "retarded," "idiot," "fag," and "d--k" are also used. Characters often swear in front of kids.

  • consumerism false1

    Consumerism: Various storefronts and signs are seen, including Starbucks and Chase bank.

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false0

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Fan Reviews provided by

Average Rating: 3.222
Read all reviews Write a review at Fandango
4

Great movie. A total 180 of what the reviews are saying by ofcwoody
It may have been a bit far reaching with a cover up to a murder and the murder of the magazine editor, but it worked for me.

5

The Son of No One review by Jeannine417
Realistic story good movie. It's a shame not in more theaters

3


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