← Back to Directory
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Movie

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

2005 • Unknown

Woke Score
3
out of 10

Plot

A husband and wife struggle to keep their marriage alive until they realize they are both secretly working as assassins. Now, their respective assignments require them to kill each other.

Overall Series Review

The 2005 film 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' is primarily an action-comedy that centers on the collapse and violent, adrenaline-fueled revival of a suburban heterosexual marriage. The narrative drive comes from the revelation that the husband and wife are both elite assassins, and their professional double lives are the true source of vitality, while their domestic cover life is suffocating. The film exhibits modern gender dynamics by portraying the female lead as an equal, highly-competent professional with a colder, more emotionally detached demeanor than her male counterpart, whose character is shown to be more invested in marital communication. However, the film is not a vehicle for explicit identity politics, gender theory, or religious commentary. Its scores are driven up mostly by its implicit critique of conventional domesticity and its clear 'Girl Boss' female lead who is arguably more lethal and self-sufficient than the man.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The plot and core conflict are entirely focused on the professional lives and marital issues of two affluent, white assassins; the narrative does not rely on race, immutable characteristics, or intersectional hierarchy. Character merit is the sole measure of value, as both main characters are elite professionals judged purely on their skill as killers. The story contains no lectures on privilege, systemic oppression, or vilification of whiteness.

Oikophobia4/10

The traditional institutions of home and family life, specifically the wealthy suburban marriage, are framed as a boring, stifling, and inauthentic 'mask' for the protagonists' true, exciting selves. This framing deconstructs the conventional American domestic ideal, suggesting the only way to revive the relationship is through extreme violence and the destruction of their shared home.

Feminism6/10

The movie employs a 'Girl Boss' dynamic where Mrs. Smith is presented as a hyper-competent, highly-skilled assassin who is the professional and physical equal of her husband. Mr. Smith is depicted as more emotionally available, domestically focused on 'talking about their issues,' and in possession of a smaller, 'girly gun,' suggesting a partial emasculation and a clear 'gender role reversal.' However, the film ultimately celebrates the complementary nature of their partnership as they work together, and the final goal is the salvaging of their marriage.

LGBTQ+1/10

The narrative adheres strictly to the normative structure of a male-female pairing and a nuclear family focus (even if a non-traditional one). The film does not center alternative sexualities, deconstruct biological reality, or include any lecturing on gender theory. Sexual identity remains a private matter between the two main characters.

Anti-Theism2/10

The plot is secular, with no direct hostility toward traditional religion, and there are no religious characters used as villains or bigots. The protagonists are murderers, which necessitates a backdrop of moral relativism in a pure action-comedy context. This subjective morality is a function of the genre rather than an explicit philosophical attack on a higher moral law.