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Common sense media reviewers.

Upbeat, engaging romcom has language and drinking.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Love will find a way. Standing up for yourself is

Central characters are warm, generous, hardworking

Kissing. Lots of sexual innuendo, references, and

Frequent swearing and potty language includes "f--

Incidental product identification includes DairyPu

Drinking in multiple social settings, including so

Parents need to know that Set It Up is a New York City-set romcom in which bouncy, smart twentysomethings struggle to find their way in the high-pressure worlds of business and journalism. You can expect lots of swearing and sexual terms/references, including "a--hole," "s--t," "penis," "boning," "d--k," and…

Positive Messages

Love will find a way. Standing up for yourself is important, as it results in self-respect and the ability to move forward.

Positive Role Models

Central characters are warm, generous, hardworking, loyal, and resourceful. Each learns to make better choices and demand respect. Successful but egotistical/mean-spirited villains are comic stereotypes. A humorous, non-stereotypical gay character is portrayed with integrity. Ethnic diversity throughout.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kissing. Lots of sexual innuendo, references, and conversations about sex. A character strips off his clothes and pees into a bottle on an elevator that's stuck; he's shown from the waist up.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Frequent swearing and potty language includes "f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," "damn," "bastard," "c--t," pee," "pooped," "nuts." Sexual references/terms include "screw," "penis," "boning," "t-ts," "penis," "full bush."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Incidental product identification includes DairyPure milk, Apple, Q-tips, Caneel Bay Resort, Budweiser beer, Sabrett, and ads/banners at a baseball game.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Drinking in multiple social settings, including some raucous parties (beer, Scotch whiskey, wine). A central character gets drunk.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Set It Up is a New York City-set romcom in which bouncy, smart twentysomethings struggle to find their way in the high-pressure worlds of business and journalism. You can expect lots of swearing and sexual terms/references, including "a--hole," "s--t," "penis," "boning," "d--k," and even a brief discussion of "c--t." Characters also drink, heavily on one occasion, both in social settings and at home. Characters kiss, and there's an off-camera, comedic "peeing moment" on an elevator. But it's also pretty lighthearted, with some short--but-sweet messages about love and standing up for yourself, and the lead characters are mostly charming and innocent, so it's OK for older teens. Zoey Deutch , Lucy Liu , and Taye Diggs co-star. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (8)
• Kids say (5)

Based on 8 parent reviews

It is a great movie

What's the story.

Harper ( Zoey Deutch ) and Charlie (Glen Powell) both have terrible bosses in SET IT UP. Harper's personal persecutor is Kristen ( Lucy Liu ), a celebrated sports reporter, who's as nasty as she is demanding. Charlie's oppressor is Rick ( Taye Diggs ), a venture capitalist who's as contemptible as he is egocentric. When Harper and Charlie meet while tending to their bosses' every whim, they come up with a unique solution: They'll fix up Kristen and Rick, since the two taskmasters really deserve each other. Their inventive plan works, but Harper and Charlie soon realize they can't rely on just introducing the two; they have to "babysit" the relationship and, in their own way, guide it from afar. In the process of saving their work lives, the two eager fixer-uppers end up spending a lot more time together than they anticipated. Charlie's romance with a model and Harper's fledgling fling with an online date are both compromised, as is their sense of integrity. When Kristen and Rick break up, the plotters' undertaking gets even harder -- so hard that they now spend time consoling each other. And everyone knows what that leads to.

Is It Any Good?

If Deutch and Powell were any airier or bubblier, they might just float away in this amiable romance that doesn't demand much but still delivers some fun, warm-hearted moments. Director Claire Scanlon keeps the pace lively and the characters appealing. And the story, though it goes exactly where you'd expect, feels fresh enough. Set It Up 's dialogue -- like "If Miss Piggy and Voldemort had a baby, and that baby had low blood sugar..." (used to describe Harper's boss from hell) -- often sparkles, and the soundtrack's mid-20th century rock and roll music feels just right.

The cast does a fine job with the material. Liu makes her stereotypical tyrant almost likable, and Diggs has a great time thrashing around in fits of irresponsible destruction. It would have been too much if both of the villains had found their inner good guys, and Scanlon avoids that pitfall as well. Bottom line? This is a pleasant-enough, diverting comedy that will most likely appeal to romantic comedy fans.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the role that swearing and sexual language play in Set It Up -- and other movies. How do they contribute to the character development/set the tone? Do you think they're necessary?

Filmmakers often use friendships as a way to establish central characters. How did their friendships with Duncan and Becca contribute to your attitudes toward Harper and Charlie?

What is "predictability" in a movie or story? When did you guess/know how this movie would end? Can predictable movies be enjoyable if the characters' journey is insightful and/or fresh? What, if anything, made this story original?

What character strengths were emphasized in Harper's story? Charlie's?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : June 15, 2018
• Cast : Zoey Deutch , Glen Powell , Lucy Liu
• Director : Claire Scanlon
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors, Asian actors
• Studio : Netflix
• Genre : Comedy
• Topics : Friendship
• Run time : 105 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : February 18, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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In Theaters

Not another church movie, content caution.

• May 10, 2024
• Kevin Daniels as Taylor Pherry/Madude; Jamie Foxx as God; Mickey Rourke as the Devil; Vivica A. Fox as Judge Loreal; Kyla Pratt as Bethany; Lamorne Morris as Monte Carlo; Wayne Stamps as Moe

Home Release Date

• Johnny Mack

Distributor

• Briarcliff Entertainment

Movie Review

God, it seems, is quite happy motoring around in the clouds on his Harley. But then he gets a call from Hoprah Windfall. And you don’t ignore that woman, or she’ll cancel you.

So God checks in and finds out that Hoprah is planning to step down from her media empire. And she wants Him to find a suitable successor to empower women everywhere. God has just the person in mind: a rich lawyer, doctor and part-time deliveryman named Taylor Pherry (the “p” is silent). This guy can do anything .

But you don’t just slip into Hoprah’s shoes. No, no, you’ve got to make a splash. So, God visits Pherry (the “p” is silent) and tells him to write a movie. Of course, Pherry (don’t forget the “p” thing) doesn’t know the first thing about screenwriting. But he does have a large family that’s packed with drama, so maybe he can write something about them.

There’s his grand-aunt, Madude, for instance. Some people think this hulking, whirlwind of a woman is actually a man in a dress, but no one would ever say that to her face. In fact, Pherry’s (the “p”—ah, let’s just call him Taylor ), Taylor’s dad, Moe, is likely the only one to say nasty things to Madude. The two live together and constantly bicker profanely—like back-alley cats in a bag.

Then there’s Taylor’s cousin, Bethany, who’s divorcing her cheating husband and having rough sex with a moving-truck driver who draws abs on his stomach. His other cousin, Monte Carlo, is divorced and dealing with three young daughters whom he isn’t sure are even his.

The list of family members and whacky antics stretches on and on.

Their stories will probably make for a movie, Taylor figures. Maybe it’ll make for a hit. Maybe it’ll make the name Taylor Pherry (and his silent “p”) a household name.

Oh, but I forgot to say that the Devil has gotten word about God’s and Taylor’s plans, too. And he’s determined to do everything he can to make sure that the movie in question is an utter disaster. A trainwreck. He’ll make sure that no one will ever want to see this piece of dreck. And he’ll unleash all his hellish powers in his wicked quest.

But the dirty little secret is this: The Devil needn’t bother with that diabolical plot. Taylor will handle all of that on his own.

Positive Elements

You could say that Taylor is hardworking. And he tries to help others from time to time. (At least, sometimes. Maybe.)

The only truly positive element comes from a teen who tells his financially struggling mom that he loves her and he’ll help her once he’s old enough to make his own way.

Spiritual Elements

Other than two oddly placed gospel tunes in the film’s credits, this film is almost entirely sacrilegious in its approach to things of faith. God (played by a long-haired Jamie Foxx) is as crude, careless and foul-mouthed as the people down on Earth. (He drops f-words and winkingly profane parodies such as “Good me almighty!” and “Me d–ned!)

The people down on Earth tend to think as little of God as he does of them. They sometimes cross themselves or say “in the name of the Father,” but it’s always in the service of some joke or sarcastic jab at faith.

The only exception seems to be Taylor, who’s startled when God sends messages to him through the TV and bathroom mirrors. He takes God’s command seriously, though he hands the work off to a secretary and tries to steal some material. “I can steal all things through Christ, who strengthens me,” he declares.

Sexual Content

There’s a running gag in the script about the above mentioned silent “p” in Taylor’s name. And part of that gag entails other people’s crude comments about the state and usefulness of Taylor’s “p.” For instance, one scene where Taylor is shirtless and playing basketball with other shirtless men winks at the idea that Taylor is secretly gay.

Speaking of which, Madude’s sexuality is called into question several times, too. After being arrested and put in jail, Madude  apparently gets an erection while in the shower with naked women. (The female nudity is kept just out of the camera’s view and Madude’s apparently male anatomy is wrapped with wet fabric.) On the other hand, Madude delivers a few quips about the effectiveness of her favorite sex toys. And she later shows some drunk frat boys her bare breasts. (The camera is behind her.)

In fact, there are a number of discussions about people’s sexual proclivities and what arouses them. Taylor’s cousin, Bethany, for instance, is devastated over her husband’s infidelity; he’s been cheating on her with several white women. But she quickly hops into bed with a stranger she meets. Their violent sex involves physical punishment, leather belts and an electric toothbrush. (We don’t see the full scale of those activities, but were told about them.)

We hear about other cheating spouses, as well as hearing references to sexual issues and sexually transmitted disesases. A couple of different guys raise a question about the true parentage of their children. A guy gives a potential mistress liposuction while she’s backed up against a wall (fully clothed).

Men ogle women and comment on their curves. Guys stand around gripping their crotch. A woman shows a bus driver her breasts (just outside the camera’s view). A babysitter trafficks her young female charge. Several women sport deep cleavage. A local tough asks a teen to go to a bar with him. But the teen’s mother goes instead. The tough later comments on the mom’s oral technique. Comments are made about various sexual toys, anal sex and the smell of a woman’s genitals.

The list of leering dialogue and actions stretches on from there.

Violent Content

All of the thumping here is played for laughs. We see a woman beat her husband, drag him by his ear and throw him out of a second-story window. Madude pulls a gun out from between her breasts and waves it around. She employs a chainsaw to saw a couch, a TV and other items in half to help a wife who received “half of everything” in a divorce case. She also punches a guy in a clown costume in the face.

A man uses too much lighter fluid at a barbeque and sets himself on fire. He runs around the yard in flames before being doused. After a police chase, a white policeman approaches Madude’s car with his pistol drawn and warns that he’s happy to shoot them. In response, Moe throws various weapons out the car window.

Crude or Profane Language

There are at least three f-words and fifteen s-words in the dialogue. They’re accompanied by many uses of “a–,” “d–n,” “b–ch” and “h—.” God’s and Jesus’ names are misused 15 times (God being combined with “d–n” on six of those). Multiple crude references are made to the male and female anatomy.

There are also several n-words (or related versions of the word) used in the dialogue as well.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Lots of people drink some form of alcohol. And that includes God and his angels, who drink wine in heaven.

Other Negative Elements

Taylor’s dad, Moe, is incredibly nasty and vulgar. He hurls raw barbs at Madude about her smell; her sexuality; and oral and anal sex, etc. He also passes gas profusely.

That said, the movie as a whole is consistently sleazy in its approach to humor. We also get a few gags tossed out at white people and a political jibe aimed at Trump.

If you’ve ever seen any of the many Tyler Perry comedies, you may have stepped away thinking: Man, I could do that! Easy.

Well, writer/director Johnny Mack proves that it ain’t as easy as you may think.

This parody of Tyler Perry films—complete with everything from a towering man/matriarch in a dress to a flood of convoluted Black family problems—is nothing short of a mess. Not Another Church Movie feels like a collection of unrelated, raunchy comedy skits that have been filmed, jumbled up in a paper bag and slapdashed together by happenstance. (And I use the term “comedy” very loosely.)

Whereas Tyler Perry’s often-problematic flicks can sometimes come with a redemptive lesson or a likeable character or two, Mack’s concoction offers zip-a-dee-doo-dah on that account. Nada. Zero. Zilch . No, this pic is crude, sacrilegious, foul mouthed and completely senseless.

When a couple of gospel songs play during the film’s end credits, viewers are left wondering why those churchy tunes made the cut.

Maybe it’s just one more “comedic” jab at Perry and God.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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If you’re looking for an inspiring, redemptive PG movie about a family overcoming every obstacle thrown in its way, Unsung Hero—which tells the “origin story” of Rebecca St. James and the Smallbone family—is the one you’re looking for. 

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How Do Christian Parents Keep Up with Their Children’s Screen Consumption?  The expert media staff at Plugged In have compiled a must-read resource to help you understand the media your children consume. Years of researching and analyzing the latest media trends are compiled in Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family.  Offering practical advice and strategies to help your children navigate the ever-changing landscape of pop culture, Becoming a Screen Savvy Family includes social media, music, streaming services, video games, movies, and more to help you dialogue with your children about the content that they are exposed to. The effects of technology and media consumption on children are far-reaching, impacting their mental health, sleep patterns, attention spans, and social skills. In Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family , you’ll learn - the effects on your children’s biology, behaviors, and beliefs; - traits of engaged parents, creating a game plan, and how to step in when needed; - how to screen those screens; and - practical strategies for limiting screen time and thinking critically about media.  Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family will quickly become an essential tool to guide your family’s relationship with media and your child’s screen consumption.

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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes review – future simians swing through cinematic jungle

This hopefully final prequel to the original movie reveals the story of the crazed ape leader Proximus Caesar – but it’s time the franchise evolved

A fter four ambitious and successful pictures, the reboot-prequel Planet of the Apes franchise now comes to what could well be the end, approaching the moment at which Charlton Heston and his crew crash landed, in 3978, in the original movie. It’s where, in 1968, we came in. Of course, if this one is a big hit, yet another prequel-episode could theoretically be squeezed in. But I hope not.

It’s not that this movie is running low on energy or panache – it isn’t – but the story is tangled and contrived and weirdly anticlimactic because that original film is starting to loom over everything like the Statue of Liberty’s shadow. All that happens has to match up with what we know is coming. There have to be “good” apes we can root for, but also “bad” apes to make sense of the original’s imminent ape tyranny. There have to be “good” humans for the “good” apes to have a relatable relationship with – but they have to exhibit “bad” or anti-ape tendencies to align with this fundamental ape/human antipathy. And there has to be a lot of stuff about observatories and radio telescopes that are still, miraculously, functional.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is not at all bad, though reliant on storylines and ideas taken from The Lion King. And it’s a reminder that the original film is incomparably better than any of them, a satire on power created by author Pierre Boulle who also wrote the source novel of The Bridge on the River Kwai about a comparable topsy-turvy ironic enslavement of white men.

Here, we start “many generations” after the rule of Caesar, the apes’ tough but enlightened ruler, created by accident by humans during an anti-dementia drug trial. Now the humans have regressed to a primitive state and apes have a cruel and crazed leader, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), who presides over a chaotic coastal encampment set up near what appears to be an abandoned human vault, a sealed tomb which Proximus believes might contain the key to ultimate power … if only he could open it.

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But there is also a gentle and quietist ape colony, the Eagle Clan, who make a fetish of training eagles. Their leader is cruelly killed by Proximus and his troops using what appear to be rudimentary tasers. (Why the Eagle clan hasn’t invented bows and arrows is unclear.) This leader’s feisty young son Noa (Owen Teague) escapes into exile where in time-honoured fashion he is helped by a wise old guide, the ape Raka (Peter Macon). While on his mission to rescue his clan and family, Noa befriends a lone and attractive human, Mae (Freya Allan), who makes common cause with Noa but has secret objectives. They chance across Trevathan (William H Macy), a wise but cynical old guy who is the human equivalent of Raka.

It all leads to a confrontation with Proximus, who is a less interesting character than Caesar. The film becomes rather jumbled and preposterous by the very end, but not before some perfectly good action sequences, and the CGI ape faces are very good. This franchise has held up an awful lot better than others; now it should evolve to something new.

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Disney’s "Encanto" revolves around a magical family, even as it reminds us that family might be the most magical thing. Read the Plugged In review: https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/encanto-2021/ If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/

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• DVD & Streaming

The Break-Up

Content caution.

In Theaters

• Vince Vaughn as Gary; Jennifer Aniston as Brooke; Jon Favreau as Johnny O; Joey Lauren Adams as Addie; Jason Bateman as Riggleman; Vincent D'Onofrio as Dennis; Cole Hauser as Lupus; Peter Billingsley as Andrew; John Michael Higgins as Richard; Ann-Margret as Brooke's Mom; Judy Davis as Marilyn Dean; Justin Long as Christopher

Home Release Date

• Peyton Reed

Distributor

• Universal Pictures

Movie Review

Attempting to follow in the footsteps of such films as Scenes From a Marriage and Modern Romance , The Break-Up tells the story of Chicago couple Gary and Brooke. After witnessing their first meeting at a Cubs game and an opening credits slide show of the “good times,” the movie walks us through their long, painful divide.

Gary gives bus tours of downtown Chicago; he likes to drink beer, watch sports on TV and play video games. Brooke works in an art gallery. And she’s got a few things she’d like Gary to change about himself. Gary doesn’t want to. Brooke is willing to risk their relationship to force Gary to change to keep her. Gary digs his heels in. After she dumps him in their initial blow-up, both refuse to give up the cool downtown condo they bought and remodeled together, so their battle balloons.

Positive Elements

Brooke’s and Gary’s friends are supportive of them during their breakup, offering comfort and attempting to give the couple glimpses of reality beyond the feud. [ Spoiler Warning ] With their help, Gary eventually comes face-to-face with his utter selfishness and narcissism. As a result, he begins to make changes in all of his relationships. In kind, Brooke faces some of her mistakes in the relationship and in her life choices.

Sexual Content

Gary and a couple of other characters make repeated crude comments and jokes about sex. In describing Brooke’s family, Gary uses crude language to remind her that her dad “touched” an exchange student, that her sister had sex with the Arizona Cardinals offensive line, and that her brother is gay. (She denies the latter charge, though her brother’s effeminate personality is played for laughs.)

Gary’s younger brother is acknowledged by all the other characters as “a pervert,” taking Gary to a club full of “young, dumb, a–” where several women are seen in revealing clothing. He begins to describe to two women what he’d like to do to them sexually using plastic wrap. Later, he and Gary entertain a group of (what seem to be) strippers and/or prostitutes for a night of strip poker. The camera glimpses several of them in revealing outfits; one is very briefly seen partially naked making out with Gary’s brother. Gary is naked except for a couch pillow in his lap.

Elsewhere, some of Brooke’s tops are low-cut. Taking advice from her boss to get a below-the-belt wax job called the “Telly Savalas,” Brooke is seen (from behind) walking naked through the condo to make Gary jealous about a date with another guy. To fight back, Gary tells the guy what drinks get her in the mood for sex and what sexual fantasies she likes. Later, we glimpse a naked male torso as Brooke’s boss sketches a nude model in her office. Brooke sees him from both front and back, and we see the drawing of what the boss calls his “gorgeous tuckus.”

Violent Content

An unlikely character takes an angry Gary down with a few effective punches and kicks, resulting in a bloody nose and bruised throat. We watch Gary play a few violent seconds of Grand Theft Auto and a boxing video game.

Crude or Profane Language

In addition to one use of the f-word and about 20 s-words, “d–n” is exclaimed around 25 times, usually with God’s name in front of it. Jesus’ name is used for swearing close to 10 times. Also heard are 10 or so uses each of “a–” and “h—.” Crude language includes multiple uses of slang for parts of the male and female anatomy and several descriptive phrases for sex.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Wine and beer are consumed at dinner parties and at a bar. Gary drinks harder stuff from the bottle when he has the strippers over.

Other Negative Elements

Gary’s younger brother begins to make a crude racial joke at a dinner party.

Fans of Vince Vaughn’s rapid-fire comic delivery might find a few laughs in the very early going of this so-called “anti-romantic comedy.” But after sitting all the way through The Break-Up , fans of Vaughn and co-star Jennifer Aniston might be harder to find. This unlikable film does neither many favors.

Vaughn bludgeons what remains of the charm from his aging frat-boy act by forcing us to imagine what it might be like to actually live with him 20 years, 25 pounds and zero maturity after college graduation. He so clearly doesn’t deserve to be in any kind of relationship with Anniston’s pleasant (if vacant) character that she loses likeability points for not seeing through his shtick in the first place.

It’s not that their arguments don’t ring true. Anyone who’s ever been in a relationship will recognize the familiar accusations, counterattacks, hurtful comments, attempts to get even, and resulting regret. In fact, that’s the problem. The spatting in The Break-Up settles for re-creating pedestrian domestic squabbling instead of making it outrageous enough to laugh at or making it revealing enough to move us. All we’re left with is sitting on the sidelines with the couple’s friends thinking, “These people need to grow up already.”

And to be fair, the film does suggest that the breakup forces both to take stock of themselves and change for the better. For me, it also exposes the flaw in the relationship philosophy that suggests it’s wiser to live together before getting married. Some might surmise that the story of The Break-Up confirms the need to avoid the marriage commitment until you see how things will go in a condo. As rational as that sounds, the point is missed. The commitment and self-sacrifice of marriage is designed to hold two selfish people together as they learn to be less selfish people. It’s not, of course, that married people don’t go through seasons of fighting like the couple in this film; it’s that the deep commitment of biblical marriage forces them back to self-sacrifice, forgiveness and finding new ways to reconnect. We’re meant to grow together through the storms of growing up instead of growing up through the storms of repeated failed relationships. Marriage is always hard work. Living together first doesn’t make it easier. It just makes it easier to get out.

Come to think of it, though, getting out isn’t a bad idea if you find yourself in the vicinity of The Break-Up . Why commit yourself to 90 coarse (and slow) minutes of watching this couple’s relationship grind to a painful stop?

Christopher Lyon

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