Story
Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) is released from jail after serving a five-year sentence for fraud. She has been using her time to plan, down to the tiniest detail, the biggest jewel theft in history. Now she’s out, she needs to put together a team of specialists who can pull off the robbery.
The first on Debbie’s list is Lou (Cate Blanchett), an old friend and former partner in crime. Lou specialises in finding the right people for the right job. Next is Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), a fashion designer whose career has peaked but who still has some talent. The third is Amita (Mindy Kaling), a jewellery maker, and the fourth is a computer hacker called Nine Ball (Rihanna). The fifth member of the team is master pickpocket Constance Wong (Awkwafina), and the sixth is a master fence named Tammy (Sarah Paulson). The seventh and final member of team comes in at the end of the movie.
Debbie’s plan is to steal a diamond necklace worth $150 million from the neck of a socialite named Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) at the upcoming Met Gala Costume Ball. They put their intricate plans into motion and allow for every contingency. This includes setting up Debbie’s not-so-nice ex-boyfriend Claude Becker (Richard Armitage), the man responsible for sending Debbie to jail. On the night of the Ball, Debbie and her team play their parts flawlessly, stealing the diamonds and escaping.
Unfortunately for the team, insurance investigator John Frazier (James Corden) is hot on their trail. It’s up to Debbie to find a solution.
Themes
Crime; revenge
Violence
Ocean’s Eight has some violence. For example:
Sexual references
Ocean’s Eight has some sexual references. For example:
- A woman who is physically threatening a man says to him, ‘In jail they’d call you a pretty boy’.
- A woman jokes with another woman, asking her whether her plan to steal jewels is a proposal.
- A young woman argues with her mother. Her mother says, ‘This is why you have no husband’.
- A woman mentions being ‘deflowered’.
- Two women look at a dating app, and they seem to like what they see.
- A young man boasts about looking down the front of a woman’s dress while serving her at a dinner party.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
Ocean’s Eight shows some use of substances. For example:
- A woman openly smokes cannabis.
- Characters drink wine and spirits socially.
- Several drops of a drug that causes nausea are added to a woman’s food. This makes her vomit violently.
- A man talks about smoking ‘grass’ while at work.
- Several women add water to bottles of vodka. A woman says that drunk people won’t tell the difference between real vodka and watered-down vodka.
- A woman pours a martini for her dead brother at a mausoleum and leaves it untouched on a seat.
Nudity and sexual activity
Ocean’s Eight has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- Several scenes show images of women wearing low-cut tops that reveal cleavage. We see the sides of a woman’s breasts through a gap in the sides of her dress.
- A man and woman kiss passionately.
- A woman dressed in underwear straddles a man’s lap. He’s fully clothed. She slaps his face hard and then kisses him passionately on the lips.
- A woman in sexy clothing lies in bed with a man. He’s wearing boxer shorts and is handcuffed to the bedhead. The woman leaves the room for a short time. No sexual activity is seen.
Product placement
Ocean’s Eight displays major brand names including Cartier, Apple, Subway, Toyota, BMW, Nutella and Smirnoff.
Coarse language
Ocean’s Eight has some coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Ocean’s Eight is an action crime comedy. Debbie Ocean and her team pull off their robbery with flare, fashion and intelligence, and without the use of guns or a single punch. The movie has a high-calibre cast and the wide age range of the actors will appeal to a wide-ranging audience.
This movie is best suited to an older adolescent and adult audience. It isn’t recommended for children under 13 years because of its coarse language, sexual references and scenes, and drug use.
These are the main messages from Ocean’s Eight:
- Crime can pay very well. You won’t get caught if you’re clever and plan your crime well.
- Teamwork and careful planning lead to success.