Is The Marksman scary?

Only a little. The Marksman has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.

How gory is The Marksman?

Graphic gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.

What is The Marksman rated, and is it OK for kids?

Rated PG-13. Expect some strong language, brutal violence and graphic gore, so it suits teens more than kids.

The Marksman (2021)

Film · 1h 48m · Rated PG-13

Action, Drama, Thriller

A gritty, brisk thriller unfolds as a reluctant defender and a young boy flee relentless cartel assassins across the border.

Suspenseful and earnest. A full-attention watch at a brisk pace. Emotionally it is heavy.

Streaming on Prime Video, Kanopy (free), YouTube (free) and Plex (free).

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The Marksman parents guide

Heads up on brutal violence and graphic gore. That is past what the PG-13 on the box suggests. Beyond that, no sex or nudity and some strong language.

Our estimate: fine from about 16, higher than the PG-13 suggests, because of the gore and violence.

Scare: Mildly scary; A few tense or eerie moments.
Jump scares: A couple; One or two sudden jolts.
Gore: Graphic gore; Blood and wounds shown clearly.
Violence: Brutal violence; Our top level for violence.
Sex and nudity: None noted
Language: Moderate; Some strong profanity, a few f-words.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is The Marksman scary?: Only a little. The Marksman has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.
How gory is The Marksman?: Graphic gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.
What is The Marksman rated, and is it OK for kids?: Rated PG-13. Expect some strong language, brutal violence and graphic gore, so it suits teens more than kids.

What is The Marksman about?

Jim Hanson’s quiet life is suddenly disturbed by two people crossing the US/Mexico border – a woman and her young son – desperate to flee a Mexican cartel. After a shootout leaves the mother dead, Jim becomes the boy’s reluctant defender. He embraces his role as Miguel’s protector and will stop at nothing to get him to safety, as they go on the run from the relentless assassins.

Does it have a happy ending? (spoiler-safe)

Bittersweet. It earns its ending, but not everyone gets what they want.