Molly’s Game Parent Guide

Based on a true story, Molly’s Game depicts the life of an Olympic-class skier, Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain). When an injury cuts her skiing career short, Molly moves to L.A. and finds herself immersed in the world of high-stakes poker. Soon Molly finds herself running some of the most exclusive poker games in the world, with players ranging from Hollywood stars, to business moguls, to sports stars. Her empire comes crumbling down when she is arrested by the FBI for suspected involvement in the Russian mob. With only her criminal defense lawyer, Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) behind her, Molly has to decide what kind of person she wants to be.

Aaron Sorkin, probably best known for The Social Network, wrote and directed Molly’s Game, with great success. Sorkin’s signature style is on full display in this production; voice-over narration, flashbacks and flashforwards, snappy dialogue, and scenes of people sitting at tables and talking. That style serves this particular story very well. The narrative is set up to allow Molly’s character to be explored from multiple angles before we, the audience, can pass judgement on her. It is well crafted, well shot, and well written.

Jessica Chastain shines as the titular Molly. Her Golden Globe nominated performance is the centerpiece of this picture. If her performance had been lacking, this whole movie would have fallen apart because of the way it is structured, but she is captivating and believable the entire time. She gives Molly depth and nuance, which helps the audience to understand her choices, even as they become less ethical. Idris Elba is also fantastic in his supporting role. His American accent slips a few times, but it is forgivable because, hey, Idris Elba.

I loved this movie, but I don’t recommend you bet on it as a choice for kids or teens. The language is extreme, there are drugs and alcohol in most scenes, and there is a brutal physical assault. Aside from the content, I just don’t think the subject matter is interesting to younger viewers. I ended up watching Molly’s Game with my 17-year-old sister and she said the plot was too adult, because it has a lot of legal and business talk which bored her. Also, she doesn’t know how poker works, which is a big part of the story.

I highly recommend this film for adults who enjoy this genre, but between the content concerns and the subject matter, choosing Molly’s Game for family viewing is like staking everything on a pair of twos.