Movie review by
S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
Focus Movie Poster Image
Popular with kids
Charming but uneven heist film is too sexy for young teens.
  • R
  • 2015
  • 104 minutes

Parents say

age 16+
Based on 9 reviews

Kids say

age 15+
Based on 11 reviews

A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Positive Messages

Lots of illegal/iffy behavior here, but in the end there's a lesson that love should mean more than money -- and that when it comes to lies, better to make them the "normal" lies that are meant in kindness ("yes you look good in that") than the compulsive kind that you start to believe yourself.

Positive Role Models & Representations

The characters are all criminals, so it's hard to consider them role models, but at least Nicky realizes that love is more important than "the game."


Characters are tied up and held at gunpoint. One character is shot. Nicky has to publicly punch a man for the sake of a con. A bodyguard purposely crashes into a car to kidnap the passengers. A woman is hit in the face.


Nicky and Jess have sex several times, but the scenes aren't explicit -- lots of kissing, clothes being removed, and bare skin/backs/legs/"side boob," but no frontal nudity. During the scams, women are about to sleep with men when their "angry husbands" walk in, and scare off the marks, who leave their pants (and wallets) behind. Frequent raunchy/explicit innuendo and banter between characters.


Frequent but not constant strong language: "f--k," "s--t," "s--theel," "f--king," "a--hole," "race skank," "bitch," etc. Lots of raunchy innuendo as well.


Piaget watches, Apple electronics, car brands including Mercedes.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink at dinners, bars, and parties -- mostly wine, mixed drinks, and champagne.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Focus is a heist flick about Nicky (Will Smith), a master con artist who meets and falls for the beautiful young Jess (Margot Robbie), who wants him to mentor her in the art of scamming people. With superstar Smith and the gorgeous Robbie as the leads, expect even middle schoolers to show an interest, but the content is more appropriate for older teens. There's plenty of strong language ("f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," "bitch") and raunchy innuendo, as well as several sex scenes, though they're limited to kissing and shots of bare shoulders, backs, and the sides of breasts (no frontal nudity). The con artists drink frequently, and a couple of times the main characters have to deal with private bodyguards who take their guns out, crash into them, and take them hostage. One character is shot.

Wondering if Focus is OK for your kids?


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User Reviews

  • Parents say
  • Kids say
Adult Written byYayo fun time April 15, 2020

Age h

I think it is 13 years it probably 16+ because of the robing,and not to meat up with people you do not know
Adult Written byKatherine T. May 29, 2017
Teen, 15 years old Written bybiovox14 November 7, 2016

You need to understand it to enjoy it

I really liked this movie, and the content wasn't all that bad. Sure it had 40some f**k's , but whats the difference between 40 in this and 2 in Wolve... Continue reading
Teen, 13 years old Written bybeehches March 2, 2020

watch. it.

i thought it was really good. i LOVED the ending. the acting was as great as it couldve been, a perfect cast for the movie. I think it depends how mature you... Continue reading

What's the story?


Is it any good?

Focus isn't going to join Ocean's Eleven in the pantheon of great caper films, but that doesn't mean it's not a lot of fun. That's mostly due to the leads' ridiculous charm and the funny supporting characters who make several scenes appropriately tense but comical. It's easy to forget how good Smith is at comedy, and Robbie's timing is better than you might expect. But it's the scenes with their marks or their colleagues that are the best -- whether it's Nicky's hilarious right-hand man, Farhad (Adrian Martinez), or a rich gambling addict deliciously played by B.D. Wong. When the cons are doing their work, the movie is like a pick pocket's version of the Wolf of Wall Street -- you can't help but laugh as they steal bags, watches, wallets, and identities.

Ironically, the movie's biggest flaw is its own lack of focus, and the various twists and turns start getting a bit old and almost predictable by the climactic ending (if the audience "focuses" enough themselves, they'll figure out a key plot point). As Jess tells Nicky, "you saw what I wanted you to see" -- and in this case, it's a couple of "aha" moments too many. This is a fast-moving, shiny movie where you find out very little beneath the surface about any character or any theme. But, hey, it's still entertaining enough to make it watchable.

Talk to your kids about ...

  • Families can talk about movies that humanize criminals. Do movies like these make you root for criminals? Is that OK? What makes a character sympathetic?

  • Do you think Focus glamorizes the lives of con artists? What does Nicky mean by quoting his father's edict that "love has no place in the game"?

  • Why is it so common for older men to have relationships with much younger women in movies? Smith and Robbie are 22 years apart. Conversely, why do so few movies show relationships between much older women and younger men?

Movie details

For kids who love comedies

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