Blackout parents guide

Blackout Parent Guide

This is a pathetically derivative film that feels like a long slog despite its mercifully short runtime.

Overall D

Netflix: A man wakes up in a hospital bed with no memories and a drug cartel out for his blood. Looks like he's going to have to shoot his way out.

Release date October 14, 2022

Violence D
Sexual Content D
Profanity D
Substance Use C-

Why is Blackout rated TV-MA? The MPAA rated Blackout TV-MA for language, nudity

Run Time: 81 minutes

Parent Movie Review

A man (Josh Duhamel) wakes up in a hospital bed with no idea of who or where he is. As he struggles to regain his memory, he finds himself being chased by members of a drug cartel for reasons he can’t remember. Desperate to figure out what’s going on and not sure who to trust, he realizes that he’ll have to fight his way out.

Imagine you showed a 12-year-old boy John Wick and The Bourne Identity back-to-back and then asked him to write a movie script. You would probably wind up with the screenplay for Blackout. This is a pathetically derivative slog of film. The story, the characters, even the sets are all reminiscent of better productions. Even the score feels like a rip off of some of Hans Zimmer’s work. You want a plot? There is no plot. You want character development? There is no character development. The entire movie is just a fight scene followed by Josh Duhamel saying, “I don’t remember anything” and then another fight scene. There is no rhyme or reason to anything that happens; yet somehow, I predicted all of it.

I can excuse an action movie with little plot if the action scenes are interesting and well done. These are not. There is constant shaky-cam, weird editing, and even more bizarre cinematography. The dialogue is just as clunky as the editing. Maybe this is just a me problem, but I was very distracted by a really bad wig worn by one of the characters. I could see the edges and it looked extremely unnatural. Yes, that seems like a small complaint but honestly laughing at that wig was the only enjoyable part of this experience.

Based on the subject matter I’m sure you’ve already guessed that I can’t recommend this film for family viewing. There are high levels of violence and swearing plus a completely random and pointless scene where a bunch of women walk around completely naked. But even if there was no negative content at all I still wouldn’t recommend this movie. It doesn’t even have the decency to be fun. It’s just boring and derivative with no meaning to be found.

Directed by Sam Macaroni. Starring Josh Duhamel, Abbie Cornish, Omar Chaparro. Running time: 81 minutes. Theatrical release October 14, 2022. Updated

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Blackout
Rating & Content Info

Why is Blackout rated TV-MA? Blackout is rated TV-MA by the MPAA for language, nudity

Violence: There are almost constant fight scenes including guns and other weapons. Characters are killed in a variety of ways, many up close and in full detail, including a man’s throat being slit. A burned body is seen. A man is pushed out a window and falls to his death.
Sexual Content: There is one scene of full female frontal nudity in a nonsexual context.
Profanity: There are approximately 50 sexual expletives, over 20 mild and moderate expletives, and over 10 uses of terms of deity.
Alcohol / Drug Use: The plot revolves around a drug cartel. Cocaine is seen but not used. Adults drink alcohol.

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Blackout Parents' Guide

Amnesia is a popular plot device in films. Why? How does having amnesia affect characters’ journeys through a storyline? Do you think this idea gets overused? Why?

Home Video

Related home video titles:

For better action films featuring amnesia as a plot device, try the Jason Bourne series. These films star Matt Damon in the title role and begin with The Bourne Identity, followed by The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. There’s a companion film, without Matt Damon, entitled The Bourne Legacy. Matt Damon returns for the less satisfactory Jason Bourne.

Amnesia is a positive plot element in The Majestic. Jim Carrey stars as a movie screenwriter stricken with amnesia after a car accident. He’s taken in by residents of a small coastal town who believe he’s a local son returned from the war.

Overboard is the story of a self-centered millionaire who learns a hard lesson. After he gets drunk, he falls over the railing of his yacht, only to wash ashore with no memory of who he is. The cleaning lady he insulted and refused to pay claims him as her husband. She brings him home, introduces him to her kids, and gives him a crash course in hard work and sacrifice.