Players (2024): A Parent’s Guide

Welcome to a parent’s comprehensive guide for the 2024 rom-com,
Players. This guide provides insights into the film’s content,
addressing potentially sensitive themes like sexual content, language, and
deception, to help parents make informed viewing decisions.

Movie Overview

Players (2024) is a romantic comedy featuring Gina Rodriguez as Mack, a
sports journalist known for elaborate “plays” to orchestrate hookups. The
film follows Mack’s journey as she yearns for a more serious relationship,
particularly with Nick, a war correspondent. This movie centers around
Mack’s transition from casual flings to seeking genuine connection.

The storyline involves Mack’s attempts to win over Nick, which are fraught
with dishonesty and deception, highlighting the challenges of building
relationships on false pretenses. The film, directed by Trish Sie, explores
themes of friendship, personal growth, and the importance of authenticity.
Parents should be aware of the film’s mature content, including sexual
discussions, strong language, and alcohol use, before allowing younger
viewers to watch.

Storyline and Premise

The movie Players follows Mack, who is known for her elaborate
“plays” to get hookups. However, she wants a real relationship and tries
to find one in Nick, a war correspondent.

Mack’s Character and “Plays”

Mack, portrayed by Gina Rodriguez, is a 33-year-old sports journalist
living in New York City. She’s known for devising intricate schemes,
referred to as “plays,” to orchestrate hookups, not only for herself but
also for her close-knit group of friends. These plays involve complex
deceptions and strategic maneuvers designed to attract potential partners.

While Mack relishes the thrill of these casual encounters, she harbors a
desire for something more profound: a genuine, committed relationship. This
yearning intensifies when she meets Nick, a sophisticated war
correspondent who joins her newspaper. Nick represents everything Mack
seeks in a partner – maturity, stability, and a sense of depth that her
previous flings lacked. Her pursuit of Nick challenges her to find a more
honest approach in relationships.

Content Concerns for Parents

This section highlights potential content concerns within
Players, including mature themes that may require parental guidance.
Details about sexual content, language, substance use, and deception are
provided for informed decisions.

Sexual Content and Discussions

Players contains frequent discussions about sex, often in crass
detail. The characters’ “playbook” guides their evenings, aiming for hookups.
Mack engages in sexual encounters with two men, featuring passionate kissing
and implied intimacy, though scenes transition before becoming explicit.
Brannagan, who is bisexual, pursues both men and women. At least one
unmarried couple cohabitates briefly, and Mack’s relationship with Nick
suggests intimacy.

Couples kiss in several scenes, and crude discussions about sex include
references to male and female genitalia. Women wear revealing outfits, and
Mack’s wardrobe includes bra tops. In one scene, she enhances her breasts
before asking for opinions. There’s a joke involving statutory rape. A man
feels guilt over a past encounter, fearing exploitation. Ultimately, the
film normalizes casual sexual encounters.

Language and Profanity

Parents should be aware that Players features a significant amount
of strong language. The f-word appears approximately 25 times throughout
the film, while the s-word is used around 30 times. In addition to these
more explicit terms, there are also frequent uses of other coarse language,
including “a–,” “d–n,” “d–mit,” “d–k,” “h–,” and “p-ss.”

Beyond these more common swear words, the film also contains instances of
profanity related to religious figures. God’s name is abused approximately
25 times, with three instances of it being paired with “d–n.” Christ’s
name is also abused on three separate occasions. This pervasive use of
strong and potentially offensive language may be a concern for some viewers
and should be considered when deciding whether the film is appropriate for
younger audiences.

Drug and Alcohol Use

Players contains frequent depictions of alcohol consumption. Many scenes
take place in bars, reflecting the characters’ social lives and where they
often seek romantic partners. During these outings, the characters consume
alcohol regularly and in substantial quantities.

Beyond casual drinking, the film includes instances of more problematic
alcohol-related behavior. One character, Little, attempts to smoke a
cigarette (as part of a “play”) but ends up choking on the smoke. A woman
pretends to be heavily intoxicated, even going so far as to feign vomiting
into some bushes. There is also a reference to a woman who attended rehab,
suggesting a past struggle with substance abuse. In one scene, a man becomes
so drunk at a bar while with coworkers that he passes out entirely,
highlighting the potential consequences of excessive drinking.

Dishonesty and Deception

A central theme in Players revolves around dishonesty and deception,
as Mack and her friends frequently engage in elaborate lies to achieve their
romantic goals. Every “play” they execute is built upon a foundation of
falsehoods, and they have honed their deceptive skills over many years.
However, when Mack is confronted about her dishonesty, she becomes defensive,
attempting to justify her actions by arguing that her targets are aware of
the lies but simply don’t care.

She even draws a comparison to the deceptive practices common on dating apps.
Despite her justifications, the film explores the consequences of such
blatant dishonesty, revealing the negative impact it has on Mack’s
relationships. As Adam points out, Mack was so focused on whether she
could get Nick that she never considered whether she should.
Ultimately, Mack learns a difficult but valuable lesson about the importance
of honesty in building genuine connections;

Positive Elements

Despite content concerns, Players offers positive elements. It
showcases supportive friendships, the importance of making amends, and
demonstrates characters trying to correct their mistakes, offering valuable
lessons about relationships.

Supportive Friendships

One of the redeeming qualities of Players lies in the portrayal of
supportive friendships. Mack and her close-knit group of friends, including
Adam, Brannagan, and Little, demonstrate a strong bond, consistently backing
each other up in their often-questionable endeavors. Despite their
involvement in elaborate “plays” designed for hookups, they exhibit loyalty
and camaraderie.

They offer each other emotional support and encouragement, even when facing
the consequences of their actions. The film highlights moments where they
stand by one another, offering advice and a shoulder to lean on. This
support system acts as a counterpoint to the more problematic aspects of the
characters’ behavior, showcasing the value of genuine connection and
loyalty. The friends’ unwavering support underscores the importance of
having people who care, even amidst chaotic circumstances.

Making Amends

In Players, the theme of making amends surfaces as a crucial element
in the characters’ development. As Mack navigates the complexities of her
relationships, she confronts the consequences of her deceptive actions.
Realizing the harm caused by her “plays,” she begins to understand the
importance of honesty and genuine connection.

The film portrays Mack’s efforts to make amends for her past behavior,
seeking to repair damaged relationships and build trust with those she has
hurt. This process involves taking responsibility for her actions,
apologizing for her mistakes, and demonstrating a commitment to change. The
narrative underscores the idea that recognizing and rectifying past
wrongdoings is essential for personal growth and fostering meaningful
connections. While the path to redemption may be challenging, the film
suggests that it is possible to learn from mistakes and strive for a more
authentic and ethical approach to relationships.

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Common Sense Media: Parent Reviews and Guidance

Explore parent reviews and guidance on Common Sense Media. Become a member to
write your own review. Access the Parents Ultimate Guides for tips and
FAQs.

Age Appropriateness

Players, a 2024 release, is most appropriate for mature audiences due
to its thematic elements and content. The film delves into adult
relationships and features frequent discussions about sex, which are often
explicit. Characters engage in casual sexual encounters. The movie contains
crude humor and profanity, including frequent uses of the f-word and s-word,
as well as misuse of God’s name.

There are scenes depicting heavy drinking and references to drug use.
Dishonesty and deception are central themes, as characters frequently lie to
achieve their romantic goals. Given these considerations, parents should
carefully evaluate the film’s suitability for younger viewers. Common Sense
Media provides further insights from parent reviews to aid in this decision.

Epic Games Parental Controls

While not directly related to the film, parental controls on platforms like
Epic Games are crucial. These controls offer tools for managing screen time
and content access for younger users.

Setting Time Limits

Epic Games offers robust parental control features, especially concerning time
management. Parents can establish daily or weekly time limits, ensuring
children don’t spend excessive hours gaming. These limits can be customized
to fit the family’s schedule and priorities, promoting a balanced lifestyle.

Within the parental control settings, parents can also define specific windows
of time when gaming is permitted. For instance, allowing gameplay only during
weekends or after homework is completed. When a player approaches the set time
limit, in-game notifications will appear, providing a warning. This feature
helps children understand and respect time constraints.

Parents should regularly review and adjust these settings as children grow
and their responsibilities evolve. Communication with children about the
importance of managing screen time is also essential for fostering healthy
habits. This proactive approach helps create a positive gaming environment.