What Parents Should Know Before Their Kids Watch The Gray Man
Few action movies in 2022 have the kind of buzz behind them that "The Gray Man" does. Co-directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the latter of whom wrote the screenplay with Marvel Cinematic Universe collaborators Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Netflix's big summer action blockbuster boasts all-stars on both sides of the camera, with Ana de Armas, Ryan Gosling, and Chris Evans heading up the cast.
"The Gray Man" follows elite CIA operative Court Gentry (Gosling) as he uncovers some top-secret intelligence that is very much worth killing for. After a shady former colleague, Lloyd Hansen (Evans), puts a price on his head, Gentry is hunted relentlessly by some of the most dangerous assassins and hitmen in the world while trying to get to the heart of the truth.
Since most people will know the Russo brothers from their work in the family-friendly MCU with characters like Captain America and the Avengers, parents might think "The Gray Man" is an acceptable film for their kids to watch. However, there are a few things worth considering on that front.
The Gray Man is rated PG-13
"The Gray Man" has earned a PG-13 rating for strong language and violence (via Rotten Tomatoes), and going off of the trailer, the film seems to be filled with high stakes and intense action. Although the same could be said for "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Avengers: Infinity War," both previous Russo brothers-directed films that also garnered PG-13 ratings, parents should be cautioned that the expletives might be flying a little more freely in "The Gray Man." Common Sense Media doubled down on this, warning parents of "intense sequences of strong violence."
With these descriptions in mind, it would seem that it will be up to parents to decide for themselves whether their kids are ready for "The Gray Man." Since the PG-13 rating allows the F-word to be used once (via Den of Geek), language-conscious parents may want to watch the film themselves before giving their kids the green light. Regardless of the age of its audience, however, it looks like "The Gray Man" will undoubtedly be one of the biggest action movies of the summer.