Hacksaw Ridge
Recommended. Age: 18+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
A young man goes to war as a medic but will not carry a gun because of his faith. The other soldiers make fun of him. In a terrible battle, he saves many hurt men, one by one. This is a true story of a man who keeps his conscience and his faith under fire, and it is deeply moving. The war scenes are extremely graphic, so it is for adults. The one age is 18, set by the Catholic News Service's L rating (Common Sense says 16+, the MPA rating is R). Expect bodies torn apart, men burned alive, a ritual suicide, brief nudity, a wedding-night scene and rough language.
For parents
For adults. The one age is 18, set by the Catholic News Service's L classification, stricter than Common Sense Media's 16+ and the R rating. The faith here is real and brave. Desmond prays, reads his Bible and will not kill. Explain that the Church honors conscientious objectors and also teaches that a nation may lawfully defend itself (CCC 2310-2311), so the soldiers who fight are not wrong either. Doss is Seventh-day Adventist, which is why he keeps Saturday. Ask: what would you refuse to do, even if everyone mocked you? Where did Desmond get his courage?