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THE SON OF NO ONE

What You Need To Know:

THE SON OF NO ONE is a police drama set in New York City. The story jumps between the 1986 childhood and 2002 hiring of Jonathan White on the police force. After 9/11, Jonathan is transferred to the Queensboro precinct where he used to live in the projects with his grandmother. He starts receiving messages threatening to expose secrets from his past. Meanwhile, a newspaper reporter keeps getting letters that a cop covered up the deaths of two people in 1986. White indeed killed them, but one was an accident and another was self-defense. The cop partner of Jonathan’s late father closes the deaths as unsolved, but now someone is trying to expose what he did and damage the police force.

THE SON OF NO ONE is very well acted, but the shifts back and forth in time get boring. Also, the plot is a little unbelievable in places. The movie also has nearly constant foul language and some strong violence. Finally, the overall story and its resolution are depressing. THE SON OF NO ONE clearly has a downbeat tone that ultimately leads to nothing truly interesting or uplifting.

Content:

(RoRoRo, APAP, B, LLL,VV, S, N, A, DD, MM) Very strong, ultimately depressing Romantic worldview set in a dark world with an implied ironic attack on the New York City police department as three police officers are ready to frame another man for two long-dead victims, one of whom was shot in self-defense and another the result of an accident, killed by the son of a policeman who died in the line of duty, and children are shown trapped by bad circumstances in the urban projects in New York, two scenes showing protagonist caring for his little girl, inserted to show what he has at stake; at least 167 mostly strong obscenities, four strong profanities, and three light profanities; strong but sporadic violence with blood includes boy shoots junkie to death after junkie threatens him, boy and his friend move junkie’s body, man kicks dog and accidentally killed when owner shoves him and he falls down stairs, policeman shot, man shot, mystery car runs into parked car and knocks driver out, implied murder of a woman; implied pedophilia when boy sees man with his friend but nothing shown, and four crude homosexual references but nothing explicit shown; upper male nudity; casual drinking; implied drug use when junkie gets killed in self-defense; and, policeman falsifies his findings in an investigation into two deaths, attempted frame of one man, references to stealing, and a married couple are shown arguing over the wife’s incorrect suspicion that her husband is cheating on her.

More Detail:

THE SON OF NO ONE is the story of a troubled boy in New York City who grows up to become a cop and winds up pulled into dealing with his haunted past. It’s an expertly made movie but contains depressing themes and abundant foul language.

The movie stars Channing Tatum with Al Pacino, Ray Liotta, Katie Holmes, Tracy Morgan, and Juliette Binoche in supporting roles. The story jumps between the 1986 childhood and 2002 hiring of Jonathan “Milk” White as he faces his first days after being transferred to a new precinct in Queens. In Queens, he starts receiving letters threatening to expose secrets from his past. Meanwhile, his wife gets harassing phone calls and a local newspaper reporter keeps getting letters that a cop covered up the deaths of two people in 1986. Jonathan indeed killed them, but the full story is more complex than that. The first victim was a junkie threatening his life. The second was an accidental death.

Jonathan and his childhood best friend, a black kid named Vinny, hide the bodies. However, they get help from the cop partner of Jonathan’s late father, who was killed in the line of duty. His father’s death left Jonathan with a very hard life with his grandmother in a housing project. So, the older cop closes the two cases unsolved.

The movie’s main thrust centers on revealing what really happened in the tragic childhood incidents, how Jonathan deals with his guilt, and whether a person threatening him will ruin his life. Nearly everyone around Jonathan turns out to have a secret.

THE SON OF NO ONE is very well acted, but the shifts back and forth in time get boring and slow. Also, the plot is a little unbelievable in places. Furthermore, the original police cover-up gets out of hand and ends on a note that implicitly attacks the integrity of the New York Police Department. The movie also has nearly constant foul language. Finally, the overall story and its resolution are depressing. THE SON OF NO ONE clearly has a downbeat tone that leads to nowhere interesting or uplifting. The project should have been completely re-thought and re-tooled.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.