Movie review
October 20, 2016 · 105 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
A 2016 action-comedy follows an ordinary suburban couple who grow jealous of their impossibly perfect new neighbors and discover the pair are actually covert government operatives entangled in an international espionage scheme. The story delivers fish-out-of-water humor, car chases, and mistaken-identity gags as the average duo gets pulled into spy work. No identity-driven themes, activist dialogue, representation emphasis, or institutional critiques surface in the narrative, marketing, or reception.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Keeping Up with the Joneses.
Woke representation / casting
Casting matches story logic exactly—average suburbanites versus ultra-competent, attractive spies—with no forced diversity, race/gender swaps, or visible identity signaling.
Woke political dialogue
Screenplay contains zero political statements, activist rhetoric, or identity-focused exchanges.
Identity-driven story themes
Narrative is pure suburban-jealousy-plus-espionage comedy with no girlboss arcs, identity politics, or representation messaging.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Story portrays U.S. spies positively as protectors of national security and contains no modern activist framing of capitalism, patriarchy, or systemic issues.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant – original screenplay with no adaptations or reinterpretations.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Total lack of any claims that the film advances woke, activist, identity-political, or left-wing messaging.
Creator track record context
No prior work by the director, producers, or writer demonstrates a pattern of identity-driven or activist filmmaking.
Production
