Mall security guard Ronnie Barnhardt is called into action to stop a flasher from turning shopper's paradise into his personal peep show. But when Barnhardt can't bring the culprit to justice, a surly police detective is recruited to close the case.
Mall security guard Ronnie Barnhardt is called into action to stop a flasher from turning shopper's paradise into his personal peep show. But when Barnhardt can't bring the culprit to justice, a surly police detective is recruited to close the case.
The film primarily functions as a dark character study, observing a deeply disturbed individual's delusional pursuit of authority without explicitly promoting or critiquing specific political ideologies or offering a clear ideological solution.
The film features visible diversity within its supporting cast, without explicitly recasting traditionally white roles. The narrative critically examines the white male protagonist's character and actions, but this critique is not framed as a direct commentary on traditional identities from a DEI perspective.
Observe and Report features an openly gay character who endures homophobic slurs and a scene depicting aggression towards a potentially transgender individual. These problematic elements are presented without significant narrative critique, resulting in a net negative portrayal of LGBTQ+ identities.
The film portrays Ronnie's devout Christian mother as an alcoholic and emotionally abusive parent. Her faith is presented as a superficial aspect of her character, failing to prevent her hypocrisy or cruelty, with no counterbalancing positive portrayal of the religion.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
Observe and Report is an original film with characters created specifically for this production. There is no prior source material, historical basis, or previous installments from which characters' genders could have been established and subsequently changed.
Observe and Report is an original film, not an adaptation of pre-existing material or a biopic. All characters were created for this specific movie, meaning there is no prior canon or historical record to establish a character's race before their portrayal in the film.
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources