Four Good Days Movie Review | Common Sense Media

Home » When Does 4 Good Days Come Out » Four Good Days Movie Review | Common Sense Media

Maybe your like

Skip to main content
  • For Parents
  • For Educators
  • Our Work and Impact
Language: English English Español (próximamente) - volver al inicio
  • Movies
    • Movie Reviews and Lists
      • Movie Reviews
      • Best Movie Lists
      • Common Sense Selections for Movies
    • Marketing Campaign

      • 50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

    • The Common Sense Seal

      • Common Sense Selections for Movies

  • TV
    • TV Reviews and Lists
      • TV Reviews
      • Best TV Lists
      • Common Sense Selections for TV
      • Video Reviews of TV Shows
    • Marketing Campaign

      • Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

    • Marketing Campaign

      • Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

  • Books
    • Book Reviews and Lists
      • Book Reviews
      • Best Book Lists
      • Common Sense Selections for Books
    • Article About Books

      • 8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

    • Marketing Campaign for Books

      • 50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

  • Gaming
    • App Reviews and Lists
      • Fortnite
      • Minecraft
      • Roblox
      • All Game Reviews
  • Social Media
    • Podcast Reviews and Lists
      • Social Media
      • Snapchat
      • Instagram
      • TikTok
  • Parents' Guides
    • By Age & Stage
      • Preschoolers (2-4)
      • Little Kids (5-7)
      • Big Kids (7-9)
      • Tweens (10-12)
      • Teens (13-15)
    • By Topic
      • Digital Parenting Anxiety
      • First Phones
      • Social Media
      • Parental Controls
      • AI Companions
      • Generative AI
    • What's New

      • Parents' Ultimate Guide: How to Set Parent Controls on Roblox

      • All Parents' Ultimate Guides
  • Tips & FAQs
    • Column 1
      • Family Tech Planners
      • Digital Skills
      • All Articles
    • Column 2

      • Carpool Conversations

    • Column 3

      • Two Truths & AI

  • Celebrating Community
    • Menu for Latino Content
      • Latino Culture
      • Black Voices
      • Asian Stories
      • Native Narratives
      • LGBTQ+ Pride
      • Jewish Experiences
      • Best of Diverse Representation List
    • FACE English Column 2

      • Multicultural Books

    • FACE English Column 3

      • YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

    • FACE English Column 4

      • Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

  • Donate

Parents' Guide to

Four Good Days Movie R 2021 100 minutes Four Good Days Poster Image
  • Common Sense Says
  • Parents Say 0 Reviews
  • Kids Say 0 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Sandie Angulo Chen By Sandie Angulo Chen , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Strong performances in predictable but powerful drug drama.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Four Good Days is a wrenching drama about a woman (Mila Kunis) who asks her mother (Glenn Close) to help her, not for the first time, go through drug detox and recovery. It's based on a 2016 Washington Post

Why Age 15+? Language

Strong language includes dozens of uses of "f--k," "f--king," "motherf----r," et

 Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Molly's drug dependency has left her with several scars, sores, and damaged teet

 Sex, Romance & Nudity

A married couple embraces. Molly's sister tells their mom that she and her lates

 Violence & Scariness

Disturbing, if not overtly violent, scenes of people with drug dependencies deto

 Products & Purchases Not present Any Positive Content? Positive Messages

Promotes importance of compassion, empathy, perseverance. Demonstrates importanc

 Positive Role Models

Deb is an attentive, loving mother, even though at the beginning she doesn't wan

  • Parents Need to Know

    Parents need to know that Four Good Days is a wrenching drama about a woman (Mila Kunis) who asks her mother (Glenn Close) to help her, not for the first time, go through drug detox and recovery. It's based on a 2016 Washington Post feature by writer Eli Saslow. Expect pervasive discussions of drug use and abuse, as well as frequent strong language ("f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," etc.). There are also disturbing scenes of a woman going through withdrawal and dealing with physical side effects of addiction, including damaged teeth, track marks, and scars. It can be hard to watch, but it also promotes compassion, empathy, and perseverance. Parents and teens who watch can discuss the dangers of drug dependency, as well as the importance of a supportive relationship between parents and children.

    To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

  • Language

    a lot

    Strong language includes dozens of uses of "f--k," "f--king," "motherf----r," etc. Other curse words said frequently are "s--t," "a--hole," "goddamn," "moron," "idiot," "bitch." Lots of painful yelling between mother and daughter.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

    a lot

    Molly's drug dependency has left her with several scars, sores, and damaged teeth. She smokes cigarettes on several occasions. Many discussions of how Molly began her drug use; a visit to the places she used to score. Inside a drug den, people are using drugs. Deb drinks a lot of wine.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Sex, Romance & Nudity

    some

    A married couple embraces. Molly's sister tells their mom that she and her latest boyfriend are sexually compatible. In one brief scene, Deb walks into a drug den and sees people having sex (a man is thrusting into a woman).

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Violence & Scariness

    very little

    Disturbing, if not overtly violent, scenes of people with drug dependencies detoxing and going through withdrawal. Molly and Deb yell at each other, sometimes in tears.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Positive Messages

    some

    Promotes importance of compassion, empathy, perseverance. Demonstrates importance of parent-child relationships, forgiveness, and not giving up, no matter how difficult the odds.

  • Positive Role Models

    some

    Deb is an attentive, loving mother, even though at the beginning she doesn't want her daughter to come into the house. Deb knows how many times Molly has tried -- and failed -- to get clean. Molly does want to get clean and see more of her children. She bravely tells a group of high school kids about how she went from being a straight-A student to being an addict.

Where to Watch

  • Four Good Days Trailer Four Good Days
  • Four Good Days Movie: Scene #1
  • Four Good Days Movie: Scene #2
  • Four Good Days Movie: Scene #3

Four Good Days

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all
  • Parents Say
  • Kids Say

What's the Story?

FOUR GOOD DAYS, based on a Washington Post feature article, follows Molly (Mila Kunis), a woman in her early 30s who's addicted to heroin and meth and begs her mother, Deb (Glenn Close), for help -- for the 14th time -- to get clean. Gaunt and just coming off a high, Molly tries to guilt-trip Deb, but her mom has heard everything before and says she can't see Molly until she's clean. After Molly spends the night outside her childhood home, Deb drives her to an emergency rehab shelter that Medicaid only covers for three nights. On the fourth day, Deb takes Molly to a doctor who believes that Molly is a good candidate for a monthly injection of naltrexone, which blocks opiate receptors in the brain -- but only if she can remain drug free for four more days under the supervision of a non-user. Deb, whose second husband, Chris (Stephen Root), is quiet but skeptical about the situation, reluctantly agrees to bring Molly home with her. Dopesick and depressed, Molly craves drugs every moment, but each day seems to get a little better. She even reunites with the two elementary school-age children she'd lost custody of while using. Cautiously optimistic, Deb hopes that this is the time Molly can finally stay clean.

Show more

Is It Any Good?

Our review: Parents say : Not yet rated Kids say: Not yet rated

This is a predictable but powerful drama based on the true story of a mother and daughter struggling to navigate the struggles of addiction, recovery, and forgiveness. Comedy veteran Kunis might not be everyone's first instinct to play the role of an addict trying yet again to get clean, but she's convincing in the part. She's often praised for her beauty, but here that's all covered up by scars, pockmarks, and decaying teeth. She's also believably gaunt. What's not surprising is that Close is every bit as good as you'd expect as Deb, Molly's put-upon and heartbroken mother who wants to help despite remaining wary of her daughter's chances of staying clean.

Despite the stars' excellent acting, the screenplay spends more time exploring the mother-daughter relationship than it does Molly's descent into addiction. Four Good Days doesn't delve into the deeper reasons that Molly turned to drugs after first getting hooked on prescription medicine, and it isn't as effective as similar films (like Ben Is Back) in showing the various ways (besides a few comments about exchanging sex for drugs, stealing, and losing custody of her kids) that substance abuse has impacted not just her life but those of her loved ones. Director Rodrigo Garcia knows how to bring out the nuances in his actors' performances, and audiences looking for a study in acting will be rewarded, even if the movie is a tad formulaic. The United States has a seemingly unceasing opioid crisis, so movies about the fallout of that crisis remain a powerful reminder of just how easily anyone, especially teens, can be susceptible to drug abuse.

Show more

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way that drug use/abuse permeates all of Four Good Days, even though actual drug use is only shown a few times. Does that affect the way you perceive addiction? Why, or why not? Are there realistic consequences for substance use?

  • Do you consider Deb a role model? What character strengths does she display? How are compassion, empathy, and perseverance important to the story?

  • Deb tells Molly's doctor that a doctor is responsible for addiction. How is this relevant to the United States' opioid crisis? Did you know that more than two-thirds of heroin addicts started off taking opioid painkillers that were legally prescribed for an injury?

  • What other movies, books, or shows could help you learn more about drug dependency and recovery? How does Four Good Days show you can help a loved one who's dealing with substance abuse? Do you agree with what Deb does at the end of the movie?

Show more

Movie Details

  • In theaters : April 30, 2021
  • On DVD or streaming : May 21, 2021
  • Cast : Mila Kunis , Glenn Close , Stephen Root
  • Director : Rodrigo Garcia
  • Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
  • Studio : Vertical Entertainment
  • Genre : Drama
  • Character Strengths : Compassion , Empathy , Perseverance
  • Run time : 100 minutes
  • MPAA rating : R
  • MPAA explanation : drug content, language throughout and brief sexuality
  • Last updated : December 20, 2021
Show more

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Four Good Days

Suggest an Update

Your privacy is important to us. We won't share this comment without your permission. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. See our privacy policy . Four Good Days Poster Image

What to Watch Next

See all

Drama Movies That Tug at the Heartstrings

See all

Movies with Strong Female Characters

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

  • Compassion
  • Empathy
  • Perseverance

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate

Tag » When Does 4 Good Days Come Out