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Plugged in reviews of movies now in theatres.

There are lots of new movies in theatres and maybe your child has mentioned one or two of them to you. But what are these movies really about and how can you find out without having to go see them yourself? 

With Plugged In movie reviews, you'll find a detailed breakdown of up-to-date films, including spiritual content, sexual content, violent content, the amount of crude or profane language, content involving drugs and alcohol, other negative elements as well as positive aspects of the film. 

Here are a few reviews of new releases you may want to read up on: 

Stronger (R)

The Lego Ninjago Movie (PG)

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (R)

Friend Request  (R)

Mother! (R)

American Assassin (R)

True to the Game (R)

Home Again (PG-13)

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Focus on the Family

1,220 episodes

Take a minute to hear a family-friendly review of the hottest movie, YouTube video, streaming series, video game, or new technology to help you decide if it’s a good choice for your kids and family. Hosted by Focus on the Family’s media and culture analysts, these reviews for parents offer a fresh Christian perspective on entertainment from a Biblical worldview.

Plugged In Entertainment Reviews Focus on the Family

• Kids & Family
• 4.3 • 142 Ratings
• APR 19, 2024

Movie Review: Irena’s Vow

Irena’s Vow earns an R-rating for one brutally violent scene. The rest of this inspiring true story showcases a young Polish woman’s audacious plan to rescue Jews from the Nazis during World War II.    Read the Plugged In Review   If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

• APR 18, 2024

TV Review: 3 Body Problem

3 Body Problem is an intriguing entry into the sci-fi genre. But its own problems push it out of bounds for most families.   Read the Plugged In Review   If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

• APR 17, 2024

The Screen in Your Pocket: Social Media is Being Sued

States are beginning to sue social media giants on behalf of kids and their mental health.   Read the Plugged In Review   If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

• APR 15, 2024

Pop Culture Remix: The Spiffing Brit

Where there’s a game, there’s a man who can break it. The Spiffing Brit is that man.   Read the Plugged In Review   If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

Movie Review: Night Swim

What begins as an intriguingly creepy premise ends as a waterlogged drain plug in need of rewrites.   Read the Plugged In Review   If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

• APR 12, 2024

Movie Review: The Greatest Hits

While it has a compelling spin and some nice messages, this movie won’t be music to most families’ collective ears.   Read the Plugged In Review   If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

• © 2024 Focus on the Family

Customer Reviews

142 Ratings

Plugged In is Trying to Protect You!!!!

I know that many viewers out there don’t care about Plugged In and think they are trying to boss you around. NEWSFLASH: They are not!! They are only trying to protect you and your family. If you see a movie that is 0 stars, I think you know that that is a movie you do NOT want to take your kids to. If you have seen one, (which I HIGHLY recommend you don’t) you probably know that is not a great movie. Plugged In has reasons to rate these badly rated movies (violence, language, nudity etc.). Yes, people curse in real life, but I believe they don’t mention it because they want you to read the review. Another possible reason is that they want to protect kids who may not know what a bad word is. But the point is, this podcast wants your family to get the best out of a film in a cinema, and generally protect your early teens, younger kids, maybe even yourself. Some movies(I will chose not to mention them) are so bad that Plugged In doesn’t even rate them!!! So I encourage you to listen to these podcasts and look at the website and PLEASE take the time to see how they rate a movie before you go see it at the cinema.

Great reviews loved

Great podcast!!!

You got to check plugged in before you watch a movie. I mean, really, who wants to watch a bad movie? You can check any new movie through a Christian lens. Plugged in will let you know if there’s any cussing or murrdering, and will give you a 1-5 star rating Example: "spider-man into the spiderverse” has 4 out of 5 stars for family friendliness. So I’ll give plugged in 5 out of 5 stars.

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Plugged In Entertainment Reviews

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Five Best Movies for Kids

Parents in search of reliable analysis of entertainment, especially movies and television intended for children, will find no better friends than our terrific team at Plugged In . And since Oscar season is here, they’ve decided to offer their own nominations for best films of the year.

Today,  I’d like to share their list of the top five cinematic productions for the youngsters in your family.

BEST MOVIES FOR KIDS*

*Since the word  kids  is a pretty broad descriptor, we’ll give some context here: Generally speaking, we’re looking at middle school- and elementary-age children, but we’re also aware that different kids have different sensitivities.

Read our reviews before deciding whether a film here is suitable for your family.

So tense is their relationship that Merida wishes she didn’t have to deal with her nagging mom  at all  … a wish that’s granted by a “helpful” witch, though not quite the way Merida expected. Merida learns lessons about how self-absorbed she’s been and how much her mother loves her. It’s a tender story, but families should know that before they reconcile, Merida and her mom will traverse some dark (and sometimes spiritually dim) moments together and face a fierce bear who’s got it in for them. Scottish-themed toilet humor creeps in, too. It’s never enough, however, to completely derail this redemptive tale.

It’s the year’s most improbable love story, and perhaps its most touching. Through the eyes of Oscar and Freddy kids of all ages can learn about the value of charity, compassion and, most especially, family.

Ice Age: Continental Drift   (PG):   Manny the mammoth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger and Sid the sloth are set afloat on an iceberg and must battle a pirate ape to get back home. This fourth animated  Ice Age  has a bit of lowball regurgitating humor and just a dash of floating-on-a-slab-of-ice peril, but nothing too odorous or scary for your average young sloth.

On the other hand, the longing and love for family and the growing pains between teens and adults are positive topics well explored amidst the joking, seafaring and swashbuckling.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island   (PG):  Inspired by the classic novels of H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs, this live-action adventure from Walden Media thrilled moviegoing kids in 3-D. There’s nothing like a perilous quest to unite sparring family members. This one bonds a teenager, his grandfather and his stepdad as our heroes outrun giant lizards and insects on a lush island that’s as dangerous as it is beautiful. Impressive effects. Wild and crazy action scenes.

Better yet, the story packs great messages about absentee dads and the selfless love required to grow a healthy family.  

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted   (PG):   The homesick menagerie of zoo animals are finally heading back to their Central Park home—via Monte Carlo, Rome and London. Things start off on the French Riviera where Alex the Lion and his furry pals get chased out of town by a psychotic animal-control chief named Capitaine DuBois. She wants a few more stuffed trophies for her wall. So, of course, there’s only one thing for the animal pals to do … join the circus.

This animated migration tale has a few off-color giggles and some cartoony thumping under its big top. But it’s a warmhearted, fun romp that encourages kids to overcome their fears and make the most of the unexpected things in life.

So, what do you think? Which of the five would you vote for? Would you like to offer your own nominations or analysis?

And on the topic of family-friendly movies for children, what’s your favorite “kid movie” of all time?

If your family enjoys movies, television or music, I’d encourage you to make a regular habit of visiting Plugged In’s excellent site .

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Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment , family January 16, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

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Angela Bennett says

May 2, 2022 at 2:21 pm

-I was looking for movies for 3-6 year olds. I know when my son was younger Focus On the Family had a movie about a penguin named Scamper. Do you know if that movie is still out there, and it not others that would be similar.

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Top 10 Family Movie Review Sites that Won’t Steer You Wrong

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With spring break just around the corner, we know many of you will be looking for movies to watch with your kids. Whether you plan on taking the kids to the theater or watching movies at home (or in a hotel room), it’s helpful to know a little something about a film first. Thankfully, there are quite a few movie review sites dedicated to just that purpose. Unlike traditional movie review sites, these are focused on providing information that parents care about when deciding if a movie is appropriate for their family.

Just like mainstream movie review sites, you’ll likely find one in this list that you’ll turn to when you need to make decisions for your family. Deciding which one is right for you depends on your needs. Make a list of the things you want to get out of a review. For example, maybe you just want to know about the sex and violence content in a film and don’t really want a critique. Then think about how you want that information provided. Do you want it as a bulleted list or as a play-by-play of how it appears in the movie? Similarly, would you prefer to read a lengthy review or watch a one-minute video from a fellow parent?

Whatever works for you, one of the sites listed below will help you pick movies that are best for your family. In addition to reviews, some sites even include places where you can rent/buy the movie online so you can start watching the movie right away. We should note that Christian organizations sponsor some of the sites listed in this roundup and, as a result, those reviews tend to be heavy on family values. Still they do provide solid details that will help you make an informed decision. When considering these sites, we were mindful that these sites may help you make decisions for your kids, so we wanted you to know the source and what you can expect.

10 Sites for Family Friendly Movie Reviews

We’ve put together a list of the 10 most popular sites for family movie reviews and listed them in alphabetical order. Many of the sites listed here go into great detail about sexual content, bad language, drug use, and violence. It’s easy to tell from reading the review if the movie is suitable for your kids. Some even provide an age rating, to help you decide if your kids will like. Since every child is different, we recommend taking the time to read or in some cases watch the review. As you’ll see, some sites are more conservative than others.

1. BoxOfficeMom.com – Run by a mom of three, who has a genuine love of the movies, this site offers her take on popular flicks. The reviews aren’t long, but do provide a plot overview. There are also categories for sexual content, violent/disturbing content, crude language, as well as drug and alcohol content. These sections contain bullet points alerting parents of what they can expect to see in the movie. Each movie also gets an overall rating depicted by popcorn buckets, which focuses on if the film is appropriate for kids or teens. While the reviews don’t include trailers embedded on the site, there are links to YouTube if you want to watch the preview. Overall, BoxOfficeMom.com may not feature as many films as other sites, it does a good job and providing the info parents care about in a direct matter.

2. Clubhouse Jr . – As the online site for the Clubhouse magazine for kids, the content is all geared toward kids. In addition to a movie reviews section, it also features games, videos, crafts and other activities. Clubhouse Jr. is part of the Focus on Family network of sites, which includes the PluggedIn (see listing below) family movie review site for parents.

Like everything else on the site, the reviews of the PG movies featured are geared towards kids for PG movies. So you never have to worry that kids will stumble upon a scary movie like The Shining. The reviews on this site tend to be long descriptions of the movies. While they don’t give the entire movie away, they do tell an awful lot about its plot. Reviews will also mention if there’s something in a film to discuss with parents. If you want to get your kids involved in picking movies, this is a safe site where they can read movie reviews.

3. Common Sense Media – Created by an organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology, this is one of the more comprehensive family movie review sites in this roundup. This site also includes reviews of games, books, TV shows, apps, websites, and music. It’s a useful tool for parents looking for reliable reviews on a plethora of media and technology topics.

Movie reviews include all the information parents needs to quickly decide if it is appropriate for their kids including recommended age groups, previews, an overview, and talking points for the family after they watch the film. The overviews focus on what parents should know about the movie. To get more details on the content, there are “What’s the story?” and “Is it any good?” sections that provide more information. If you like to look at ratings in a glance, you’ll appreciate the comprehensive “What parents need to know” checklist that includes ratings for positive messages, positive role models, violence, sex, language, consumerism, and drinking, drugs & smoking. Once you decide on a movie that’s currently available at an online video store, click the Watch button for a list of places where the movie can be streamed or purchased.

In addition to the written reviews, some of the films feature a Common Sense video review. These are roughly one-minute reports that provide a brief summary of the movie and finish with what age group is appropriate. Speaking of reviews, it also offers user reviews from teens, kids and parents. When kids post their opinions, it includes their age, which should help you decide if it’s a movie that will interest your child. Overall, Common Sense Media is a well thought-out movie review site for families with an intuitive design.

4. The Dove Foundation – For over 20 years, this non-profit organization has been dedicated to providing family friendly movie reviews to help parents decide which films are appropriate for their kids. With that in mind, the organization has recently stopped reviewing NC-17 rated movies. There might be a listing for that movie with basic details, but it will simply list it as “Not Recommended for Families.” Movie listings include a synopsis, a family-centric review that doesn’t give too much away, inappropriate content description, and movie details such as actors, director, writers and more.

The Dove Foundation is best known for its scorecard that depicts the severity of sex, language, violence, drugs, nudity, and other inappropriate behavior in a movie. You can find reviews of movies currently in theaters and DVD, as well as TV shows. The site has recently added the ability to purchase family friendly movies for download or streaming directly from the site. As of this writing, there wasn’t a significant selection. Overall, the site is easy to navigate, and it provides a decent selection of family friendly movies though it lacks reviews of movies coming soon (even those due out over the upcoming weekend). There is also a fair share of content available for those looking for faith-based entertainment.

5. Fandango Family Movies – The popular movie ticket-purchasing site has dedicated a section of its site to family movies. It’s designed only to surface family friendly movies. Although it doesn’t provide information on if a film is age appropriate, it does offer an age filter so it will only surface movies geared toward a particular age group (for example, 3 – 6, 7 – 12, etc.). Each movie has a synopsis, cast and crew information, release date, a trailer, movie times and tickets and additional features. The reviews are from users of the site, and those are combined to give a movie an overall star rating.

On this section of the Fandango site, there are some family friendly video content that should help parents decide if they should see the movie. Parents will appreciate the Mom’s Movie Minute, which is a video of a mom discussing a movie’s plot and how her kids felt about the movie. The videos conclude with her rating on positive themes, violence, sex, and bad language. There’s also a Reel Kids video series featuring kids talking about themes in a movie. While this series is geared toward kids, parents will likely find it charming as well.

We should note that while the family friendly section of Fandango has a lot to offer, it’s easy to end up back on the larger Fandango site that displays all current releases. Additionally, you won’t find reviews of DVDs on this site. Overall, if you’re a fan of Fandango and all the content it has to offer, you’ll appreciate the family friendly version of the site. Just be aware that not all movies have a Mom’s Movie Minute, so you’ll need to scroll through reviews to find more information on things like sex, violence, and bad language.

6. Kids in Mind – The sister site to Critics.com is designed to help parents decide if a movie is right for their family. Reviews on this site are really focused on providing detailed information about sex & nudity, violence & gore, profanity, and substance abuse. Reviews begin with a quick synopsis of the movie, which doesn’t give away too much of the plot. Each category section has a rating and a comprehensive list of things parents might find unsuitable for kids. The reviews end with suggested talking points for families to discuss.

Kids in Mind has a ton of useful content, but it lacks style. Each review has one image, and there are no trailers. You can, however, view the trailer by clicking the links to the IMBD listing or the official site. It lists new releases and movies available on DVD, so you can easily see what movies are scheduled to come out in a given week. Plus, you can view a list of films alphabetically if it doesn’t appear in the site’s search results. Other than this information there is little else, but parents that just want the facts will appreciate the straightforwardness of Kids in Mind.

7. Movie Guide – This basic site includes reviews of current releases, DVD, and TV movies. Although it lacks movie trailers, it does occasionally include sites (for example, Amazon and iTunes) where films are available for download. While the site doesn’t offer ratings about age appropriateness, it does rate the language, violence, sex, and nudity that appear in the film. Each review begins with a Content section that provides details about inappropriate content. The actual movie review section is quite long and includes information about the plot, what it’s like to watch the movie, and the reviewer’s opinion. If you don’t want to read all of that, you can skip to the In Brief section, which is a quick summation of plot and the reviewer’s thoughts on the film.

The site is associated with the Christian Film and TV Commission, so occasionally you’ll find reference to Christianity in the reviews. While it does have an extensive database of mainstream movies, you’ll also find some faith-related titles as well. In short, in addition to offering information to help you decide if a movie is family friendly it also includes critic-style reviews of each film.

8. Parent Previews – What started out as a newspaper column with a focus on film reviews from a family perspective has become a full-fledged website that’s been running for 10 years. While the site only reviews movies with a rating of G, PG, or PG-13, you’ll still find some R rating movie listings. Those films just lack the full review, but they do include a list of questionable content such as violence, sexual content, language, and alcohol/drug use. Each review includes a grade card for questionable content along with details of the offenses, talking contents, cast and crew, trailers, a synopsis, trailers, talking points, and Canadian movie ratings. Speaking of reviews there are user reviews, however, you need to login to leave them. One unique feature is the option to hear an abbreviated version of the critique. If you like that, you may be interested in subscribing to the site’s Daily 90 Second Podcast.

The site is well designed making it easy to jump to the section of a review that interests you most. It also features reviews of DVDs, movie extras, and news features. While it doesn’t provide information on what age group would appreciate a certain movie the grade card makes it easy for parents to figure out at a glance if a film is appropriate for their family. Overall, Parent Previews is a well thought out family friendly movie review site that provides critiques as well as grades of what’s in theaters now and DVD releases.

9. Parental Guide – This family-centric shopping site also offers movie reviews. However, if you see a review you like, you won’t be able to purchase the video. That said, the site does offer some helpful tips on technology and kids. The reviews include a trailer, cast & crew, release date and a detailed summary of the movie (but doesn’t give away the plot). The actual reviews are concise, but well thought out. Within the review, it provides a suggestion for what type of audience the movie is appropriate for. It also goes into detail about why the film received the MPAA rating it did and what parents need to know.

Parental Guide mentions on the site that it has coming soon and new releases, the most recent review we could find was for movies released last year. That said, if you’re trying to decide on a movie released in 2014 or 2013 you’ll likely find a review on this site. Unfortunately, the search seems to be restricted to products sold on the site, so you’ll have to scroll manually through the movie listings to find the film you want. In short, Parental Guide’s family movie reviews are useful, but there aren’t as many titles reviewed as can be found on other sites in the list.

10. PluggedIn – This site is part of the Focus on Family network of sites, which includes the Clubhouse Jr. (see listing above) movie review site for kids. As such reviews are heavy on information that parents want to know such as Positive Elements, Spiritual Content, Sexual Content, Violent Content, Profane Language, Drug and Alcohol Content, and Other Negative Elements. Reviews also include a lengthy overview of the plot, a conclusion that sums up some of the film’s themes a Plugged In rating, credits, and icons depicting appropriate age group. While the site doesn’t offer trailers, many reviews feature an online video component that provide a brief preview, story synopsis, and a mention of questionable content which parents should know about it. If you don’t want to watch the video, you can click the listen icon to hear the review.

Navigating the site is fairly straightforward, you can easily search for movie reviews based on the title, MPAA rating, release date, genre, PluggedIn rating, or alphabetically. In addition, to family-friendly movie reviews of films currently in the theater there’s also a section for recently released on video. However, there’s no mention of where to download the movie online. Overall, PluggedIn provides detailed reviews that parents will appreciate and the option to watch or listen to an abbreviated review is a nice touch.

Snap Shot: Comparison of Family Movie Reviews

Looking for an easy way to compare movie review sites for families? This chart will be able to show you at a glance the main features that each site in the roundup offers.

A Family Movie Review Provides Confidence When Choosing Entertainment for Your Kids

At the top of many parents list for spring break is watching movies with their kids. Instead of guessing what movie your family might like or is it appropriate for them take some time to peruse some reviews. As you do this, make a list of movies that you’d like to see with your kids that you know you’ll all enjoy. It’s a great way to avoid all that time trying to decide which movie to see. That can take longer than the 10 previews typically shown before each film in a theater.

Once you find some movies you like, if they’re still in theaters check out showtimes that will work with your schedule. If you prefer to watch them at home, visit a site like IMDB to find out where you can download them online. Even though the site is geared toward movie buffs, it does have a Parents Guide for each movie, which lets you know all the controversial (aka not so family friendly) stuff that happens. For those who are heading out on vacation and aren’t sure about the Wi-Fi connection at your lodging, opt for downloading a rental of the movie before you leave. Just remember you have a limited time (usually 24 to 48 hours) before the movie expires. If you know you’re going to be at a spot with a high-speed Wi-Fi connection that won’t cost you any extra to use, streaming the movie online will work great. Don’t forget to check out the mobile apps for premium channels that you subscribe to and see if the video is available there. Then add it to your watchlist or saved movie queue. We hope you enjoy your family time at the movies.

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About The Author

Joni blecher.

Joni Blecher, RealPlayer Blog Editor - Joni started covering technology back when cell phones didn't have color displays and quickly made a name for herself in the mobile industry as CNET's "Cell Phone Diva." In addition to covering everything mobile, she has launched and edited multiple blog sites. When Joni started appearing in product review videos, she fell in love with the story-telling format and honed her video skills to include producing and editing videos. Joni has made appearances on CNN, BBC, CNBC's Bulls Eye, and Good Day New York to discuss the latest in technology. When she's not spending her time writing or shooting video you can find her exploring and tasting the latest food trends. Follow her on Twitter  @JoniBlecher

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Parents need to know that Family is about a selfish, blunt workaholic (Taylor Schilling) whose unexpected week with her middle school-age niece (Bryn Vale) changes her in important ways. The main characters learn to have empathy for each other and for themselves, and both make positive changes in their lives…

Positive Messages

Mixed messages about women and girls (a set of middle school bullies is insulted for being "dogs" and "bitches," and one girl is said to have a "lazy eye"), but also very sweet messages about empathy, unity, importance of feeling like you belong, being true to yourself, understanding that most people feel like "freaks" inside no matter what they look like outside.

Positive Role Models

Kate is selfish and painfully blunt, but softens over course of movie, acknowledges her faults and need to be kinder. Adults are deeply involved with the young characters. Even though bullied middle school girl joins a socially reviled group with off-putting outward attributes, viewers see that the group accepts her as she is, cares for her. Some stereotyping, including middle school "mean girls" group. An adult woman calls them "dogs," says they don't have right to pick on others because they're so unattractive. At 11, Maddie is empathetic toward others: When told that it should make her happy to shop for a dress when there are poor kids who can't, she logically answers, "Why would that make me happy? It just makes me sad those kids are poor." A mom who thinks "karate is for boys" learns better. Characters are diverse in race, ethnicity, gender, body type.

Violence & Scariness

Viewers hear how violent a group of Juggalos is (talk of them stabbing each other and damaging public property, and viewers see them fistfighting), but they ultimately emerge as sweet eccentrics who drop everything to search for a lost kid. A bullied girl fights back against her foes by kicking one so hard she falls down; the kicker is then suspended from school. A woman is injured by a closing garage door.

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

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Brief conversation about using two condoms for birth control (a character correctly says that it's safer to use just one) and some talk about dating. Two characters seem headed toward a romance at the end of the movie, but they never kiss.

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

Frequent strong language includes "f--k," "s--t," "bitch," "p---y," "ass," and "bulls--t." A middle school-age child is called a "loser," and others are called "dogs" and "freaks."

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

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

An adult handles stress by drinking; she gulps down wine, shots, cocktails. One scene shows many cocktails being downed. A character shows up drunk at a school; she takes a Lyft there and is driven by a sober friend so she doesn't drive drunk. At a gathering of Juggalos, people smoke joints and share large bongs; a character talks about being addled because she's on a lot of drugs.

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

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Family is about a selfish, blunt workaholic ( Taylor Schilling ) whose unexpected week with her middle school-age niece (Bryn Vale) changes her in important ways. The main characters learn to have empathy for each other and for themselves, and both make positive changes in their lives. A girl who feels like she doesn't fit in is bullied by a group of female classmates who are then spoken of in stereotypical terms (as "dogs," "bitches," and "mean girls"); the girl ultimately defeats them by kicking one to the ground (she's suspended for it). At the same time, the girl also finds a group of friends who accept her for who she is. Despite some iffy choices, those friends are eventually revealed to be kind-hearted, thoughtful, and caring (even if viewers see them shrieking, punching each other, and sharing giant bongs). In other scenes, adults guzzle wine and cocktails; they don't usually appear drunk, but in one scene a character does show up drunk at a school. Frequent strong language includes "f--k," "s--t," "bitch," "p---y," "ass," "bulls--t"; several characters are also called (or call themselves) "freaks." There's no sex or romance, but there's a brief joke involving condoms and suggestions of the potential for romance between two characters. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (2)
• Kids say (1)

Based on 2 parent reviews

This is a 5 year old movie

What's the story.

Kate ( Taylor Schilling ) has her eyes on the prize at work and doesn't have a lot of time for FAMILY. But when her brother ( Eric Edelstein ) and sister-in-law ( Allison Tolman ) have to leave town for an emergency, Kate's the only one available to take care of her 11-year-old niece, Maddie (Bryn Vale). Kate figures she can hold things together as usual, despite a challenging period at work. But Maddie's a kid who needs help -- and, luckily, she finds it, thanks to Kate and a friendly group of local Juggalos (followers of the band Insane Clown Posse).

Is It Any Good?

It churns through plenty of cinematic clichés along the way, but ultimately this comedy gets to a place of genuine sweetness -- in a gathering of the Juggalos, of all places. Viewers will instantly recognize Schilling's Kate from the first scenes: She's tightly wound, all business, with no time for friends or family. "I have a habit of saying things that everyone is thinking, but then someone's always like 'Why did you say that?' so I'm usually in the place where I hate myself but also think I'm better than everybody else," she sums up to Maddie. We know, by the way, that Maddie will be the driving force of Kate's story arc, because of course Kate has to change by the time the credits roll, or why else would she be dressed in pristine white silk shirts and frowning? So change she does, and in all the ways you imagine she will -- but the magic of Family is that it's done with such artistry that it transcends the trite setup.

Maddie is a weird kid, but the movie's not laughing at her -- even though her true friends wind up being Juggalos who hang out in front of a mini mart playing a recorder. We feel the pain of her differentness from the kids at school, as well as her joy at finding a group that accepts her as she is -- and an aunt who can help her feel comfortable and supported in choosing to stand out rather than trying fruitlessly to fit in. Maddie's new friends, as Kate tells Maddie's worried mom, "play with their spit, and all their songs are about stabbing people, but once you get beyond that, they're really kind of sweet." And, without giving away the ending, it's true. No, it's not realistic, but Family gets at a real feeling: the wonder of finding your people. And clichéd as it is, it's awfully affecting.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Family compares to other family-centered movies. Does the content seem more or less realistic than others'? How is this family different from other movie families?

Is it ever OK to use stereotypes as a way of portraying characters? Do you see any stereotypes in this movie? Do the characters ultimately affirm or upend their stereotypes?

How do the characters in Family demonstrate empathy ? Why are these important character strengths ?

How does the movie portray drinking ? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?

Movie Details

• In theaters : April 19, 2019
• On DVD or streaming : July 16, 2019
• Cast : Taylor Schilling , Brian Tyree Henry , Kate McKinnon , Bryn Vale
• Director : Laura Steinel
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors, Black actors, Lesbian actors
• Studio : The Film Arcade
• Genre : Comedy
• Character Strengths : Empathy
• Run time : 85 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : language, some sexual content and drug use
• Last updated : January 11, 2024

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.

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