Parents' Guide to

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Movie R 2010 85 minutes
Exit Through the Gift Shop Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

S. Jhoanna Robledo By S. Jhoanna Robledo , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Curious docu about street artists has some strong language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

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age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 7-year-old
September 5, 2023
age 14+

A documentary with a few unexpected twists and turns and abstract questions about street art

This film was a bit of a surprise. A complex documentary about street art that complicates who is the subject and who is the filmmaker and for what purpose. Banksy seems to be having a lot of fun at everyone's expense. The film pulls it off though. The film takes some turns narratively and then takes a few more morally and then there are the basic questions of what is art. Banksy delivers on all fronts in this documentary. It lives up to the hype.
gigi94025
gigi94025 Adult
February 8, 2011
age 14+

Fantastic, engaging documentary that will appeal to teens

I thought this was a fantastic up lifting story. I would recommend googling the movie after you watch it to find the interviews with the editors which are fantastic as well. This is an amazing true story. I would classify it as a character study as well as about street art. It is really about following one's passions. Note: As others have said this is abotu street art not grafitii. The language in the film may be an issue for younger kids.
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What's the Story?

Thierry Guetta, a former Los Angeles shopkeeper, turns accidental documentary filmmaker and artist in EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP. Guetta is an avid videographer, and street artists became his favorite subject. After hobnobbing with the likes of such artists as Swoon and Shepard Fairey, who became famous for his rendition of Barack Obama's countenance, Guetta befriended the famously reclusive Banksy, who gives him the task of attempting to make art himself. Guetta becomes Mr. Brainwash and takes to the task immediately, deciding to create a massive show and hyping it up in the media.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (12 ):

This rags-to-artists tale is compelling, indeed, and every frame is worth watching. Guetta is a strangely fascinating subject, both as a documentarian wannabe and as an artist wannabe who captivates. (His show was hugely attended.) The film affords an appealing, if slightly roundabout, look at the world of street art -- the thrill of the process, the lure of the rebellion.

But you can't help wondering, as you watch, whether we, as viewers, have become part of someone's subversive art piece. The film, after all, is directed by Banksy, who's presented here as a subject but then ends up documenting the filmmaker. Confused? Not surprising -- but, hey, it's an adventure nonetheless.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about street art: What makes it so compelling? What do the artists get out of creating it? What do viewers get?

  • Is graffiti vandalism or art?

  • What about the documentary filmmaker, Thierry, whose work is central to the film? What kind of artist is he?

Movie Details

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