Notorious

Notorious

movie

R, 2009, Biography, Crime

WISE
35%

WISE Score

52

Avg. Tomatometer

Biggie's life story gets the Hollywood treatment—drugs, rhymes, and violence included, but the spark that made him legendary feels muted.

IMDb6.7
RT Critics52%
MC60
Common Sense Media
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Screenwise Verdict

Look, if your teen is obsessed with 90s hip-hop and wants to understand Biggie's cultural impact, this movie exists and it's competently made. But let's be real: it's a pretty standard biopic that doesn't transcend its genre.

The bigger issue is that Common Sense Media isn't wrong—there's a real risk this glamorizes a lifestyle of drugs, violence, and misogyny even as it shows the tragic ending. The movie wants to have it both ways: celebrate Biggie's talent while showing his flaws, but it doesn't always succeed at the critical examination part.

Critically, it's middling (52% on RT). Audiences liked it more, probably because they came for the music and the nostalgia. The 6.7 IMDb rating tells you it's... fine. Watchable if you care about the subject, forgettable if you don't.

Bottom line: This is an adult film about an adult life that ended tragically at 24. If you're watching with a 17-year-old who's mature and interested in music history, go for it—but plan to talk about it afterward. For everyone else, there are better biopics and definitely better ways to spend two hours.

Age Fit

This is strictly 17+ territory, and honestly, even then it's best for older teens who have the maturity to critically examine what they're watching rather than just absorbing it. If your high schooler is deep into hip-hop history or music culture, this provides context—but it requires conversation afterward.

WISE Breakdown
Wholesome
28

The film depicts a lifestyle saturated with drugs, violence, infidelity, and misogyny. While it's a biographical account of a real rapper's life, the content includes extensive drug dealing and use, multiple sexual relationships, objectification of women, and ultimately ends in lethal gun violence. Common Sense Media notes kids might feel it glamorizes this lifestyle despite the tragic ending.

Imaginative
52

As a biopic, it follows a fairly conventional narrative structure without much creative innovation. The film captures the rise of hip-hop culture in 1990s Brooklyn with some authentic period detail and showcases the creative process of making rap music, but it's ultimately a straightforward biographical drama that doesn't push boundaries or invite much viewer creativity.

Safe
15

Severe safety concerns across the board. IMDb parents guide rates sex/nudity and profanity as 'severe,' with violence/gore as 'moderate.' Common Sense Media recommends age 17+. The film contains explicit sexual content, pervasive strong language, drug use throughout, and depicts fatal shootings. This is decidedly not content a child should stumble upon unexpectedly.

Enriching
58

There's legitimate cultural and historical value in understanding the impact of Notorious B.I.G. on hip-hop and his rise from Brooklyn poverty. The film offers a window into systemic issues, the creative process behind influential music, and the consequences of violence. However, the execution is middling (52% RT critics, 60 Metacritic) and the potential lessons about choices and consequences could be more powerfully drawn. For mature teens interested in hip-hop history, there's something here.

Parent Info
✓

Why It Might Be Great

  • Offers cultural context for understanding one of hip-hop's most influential artists and the 1990s East Coast rap scene
  • Shows the creative process behind iconic music and how Biggie's lyrics reflected real Brooklyn street life
  • Depicts the very real consequences of violence and the cycle of retaliation that defined the East Coast/West Coast rivalry
  • Jamal Woolard's performance as Biggie earned praise for capturing his presence and charisma
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What to Watch For

  • Pervasive drug dealing and use throughout—this was central to Biggie's early life and it's depicted extensively
  • Multiple graphic sexual scenes and casual treatment of infidelity and objectification of women
  • Strong language throughout (this is a movie about a rapper, so expect it constantly)
  • Gun violence including the fatal shooting—while not gratuitously gory, it's the tragic centerpiece
  • Risk of glamorization: despite showing consequences, the lifestyle looks exciting and the movie doesn't always critically examine the choices being made

Conversation Starters

  • "What do you think drew people to Biggie's music? Why did his lyrics resonate so strongly with his audience?"
  • "The movie shows how violence kept escalating between the coasts. What could have broken that cycle?"
  • "Biggie had real talent and was starting to achieve success. What do you think about the choices he made even as opportunities opened up?"
  • "How do you think the movie portrays women? What does that tell you about the culture at the time?"

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