Above the Law

How difficult is Above the Law in English?

Above the Law: 65.5% A1–A2 vocabulary; 15.1% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 1,172.

Unique vocabulary

• For A2 learners: 24.7% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
• For B1 learners: 15.1% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
• For B2 learners: 9.5% of unique vocabulary is above B2 or marked rare. Try a short scene and check your comprehension; the vocabulary offers a relatively accessible starting point.

9.8% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.

Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences

91.4% A1–A2 vocabulary; 3.4% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary; 3.1% Unclassified.

This counts repeated eligible words. Phrases are excluded from this calculation to avoid counting their component words twice.

Recurring words and phrases to preview

• cop (B2): 16 occurrences in available subtitles.

  English meaning: An informal word for a police officer.

  Subtitle example: Lady cops need boyfriends, too, you dig?

• senator (C1): 16 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: Tell me something, old buddy. Do we kill our own senators now?

• hell (C1): 13 occurrences in available subtitles.

  English meaning: A place of suffering in some religious beliefs; also used informally to express anger or surprise.

  Subtitle example: What the hell's wrong?

• agent (B2): 11 occurrences in available subtitles.

  English meaning: Someone who acts for another person or organization.

  Subtitle example: Lieutenant Strozah, these are FBI agents: Halloran, Neeley.

• federal (B1): 8 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: ...under federal indictment than any other cop in the city.

Compare with titles in similar genres

• The Net: 15.1% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points less than Above the Law).
• Code of Silence: 15.1% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points more than Above the Law).
• Marked for Death: 15.1% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points more than Above the Law).

These percentages describe vocabulary, not the proportion of dialogue you will understand. CEFR labels are estimates, not official film ratings. Accent, speed, songs, context, and your own vocabulary also affect comprehension. Repeated occurrences may include repeated dialogue or lyrics.

How we estimate vocabulary difficulty · Evidence generated: 2026-10-13