UNBROKEN
A powerful story of faith, endurance, and forgiveness — for adults only.
Should You Watch It?
UNBROKEN is an immensely powerful biography about Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who endures war, disaster, imprisonment, and persecution without surrendering his values. Its strongest qualities are its courage, hope, perseverance, and forgiveness. Christian faith is present throughout, especially in prayer, the call to love one’s enemy, and Louie’s promise to serve God.
But the film is harrowing. The violence in the POW camps is intense and brutal, even though it avoids gratuitous gore. Foul language, nudity, sexual references, and other mature material also make this unsuitable for children and young teens.
Adults who can withstand the content will find a moving, inspiring story with a strong moral foundation. For family viewing with younger children, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESLouis Zamperini grows from a mischievous boy in Torrance, California, into a determined Olympic runner at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. When World War II begins, he joins the Air Force and flies dangerous missions.
After a tragic plane crash, Louie and two fellow airmen are stranded at sea with little food or water. Their fight for survival leads them into circumstances even more difficult than they imagined.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is an exceptionally strong film. Angelina Jolie directs with great skill, bringing the vast ocean landscapes and the intimate suffering of prisoners of war vividly to the screen. Cinematographer Roger Deakins helps give the movie visual power.
Jack O’Connell commands the screen nobly as Louie, while Japanese superstar Miyavi makes a disturbing English-language acting debut as “The Bird.” The adaptation is rich with subtext and deeply moving, though viewers familiar with Laura Hillenbrand’s biography may wish the film had included more—especially Louie’s Christian conversion after the war.
The Worldview
UNBROKEN presents a very strong Christian and moral worldview. It honors courage, sacrifice, endurance, forgiveness, prayer, patriotic loyalty, and hope amid suffering. The story also values loving one’s enemy and holding onto faith when circumstances seem hopeless.
The movie does not dramatize Louie Zamperini’s actual Christian conversion after the war. Still, Christian faith appears from beginning to end, and the closing titles explain that Louie forgave his captors because of his faith in God through Jesus Christ. The film’s moral vision is therefore firmly grounded in Christian themes, even though one of the most important spiritual chapters of Louie’s life remains outside the main story.
At its heart, the film asks how a person can retain hope and dignity amid injustice. Scripture gives this hope a clear foundation: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very strong Christian, moral worldview extols courage, sacrifice, forgiveness, and holding onto hope, a family goes to church and a priest preaches about the light following the darkness and says to “love your enemy,” a woman prays for her mischievous son, a soldier prays to God and wears a cross necklace, hero promises to serve God if his life is spared and the closing titles say he kept his promise, served God and was able to forgive his captors because of his Christian faith, plus very strong patriotic values, including American soldier refuses to betray his country for better treatment; eight obscenities and three profanities, men empty out a latrine; strong and intense violence, planes are shot down in battle, men are brutally beaten with batons and bamboo sticks, whipped with belts and punched and kicked, main character sets his broken nose, men are shot, and a man’s fingernail torn hands are shown, but no gratuitous gore, though it’s still rough to see; a sexual reference, and main character ogles woman a few times, including from under some bleachers; some “pin ups” are seen in the background on some plane walls, naked prisoners are seen from both front and back, though frontal sensitive areas are covered; young boy secretly drinks liquor; light smoking of cigarettes and cigars; and, mischievous boy steals, though this is not condoned and he is punished, and prisoners of war dress as women for a play they are forced to put on for the guards.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Louie keeps going when everything seems lost. What helps you persevere when suffering feels overwhelming?
Romans 5:3–5 · James 1:2–4A priest teaches the importance of loving your enemy. What does Jesus command, and how might obedience look when someone has harmed you?
Matthew 5:44 · Romans 12:20–21Louie cries out to God and promises to serve Him. What do prayer and promises reveal about where we place our hope?
Psalm 46:1–3 · Proverbs 3:5–6The film points toward forgiveness after terrible injustice. Why is Christian forgiveness difficult, and why is it possible?
Ephesians 4:31–32 · Colossians 3:13The Final Word
UNBROKEN is a beautifully directed, deeply moving story of endurance, faith, and forgiveness. Its brutal wartime suffering and mature content mean it is not for children or young teens. For discerning adults who can handle those elements, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY.
