If you have walked past a movie poster this week showing a girl, a dark forest and a sky full of crows, you have met Wildwood. The new stop-motion film from Laika, the Oregon studio famous for handmade animation, opened in U.S. theaters on Friday, October 23, 2026. Critics are calling it gorgeous. But before you load the whole family into the car, there is one thing every parent should know: this animated movie is rated PG-13, and reviewers say it earns that rating.
Here is a calm, honest guide to help you decide whether Wildwood is right for your household this weekend.
What the Movie Is About
Wildwood is based on the 2011 middle-grade novel by Colin Meloy. It was directed by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler. The story follows Prue, a brave teenage girl whose baby brother, Mac, is carried off by a murder of crows. With her classmate Curtis tagging along, Prue goes into a hidden, magical forest near Portland, Oregon to bring her brother home. Along the way she finds talking animals, rival kingdoms, a war in the making and a grieving woman with dark plans.
The voice cast includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Prue, Jacob Tremblay as Curtis, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett and Awkwafina. Fathom Entertainment is distributing the film in the U.S.
Why It Is Rated PG-13
The Motion Picture Association rated Wildwood PG-13 for “strong fantasy violence/bloody images, thematic material, suicide-related material, brief partial nudity, and language.” That is a long list for a cartoon-looking movie, so it helps to know what it means on screen.
- Violence: Reviewers describe battle scenes with weapons, blood and on-screen deaths, including animal characters whose deaths are meant to hurt.
- A hard opening scene: Both the Boston Globe and Seattle’s Child note that the film opens with a hard scene involving a child character, the source of the “suicide-related material” in the rating. The character is later revealed to be an artificial, mechanical being, but the moment may still be upsetting.
- Heavy themes: Grief, a kidnapped baby, and a bargain made at a child’s expense run through the story.
- Other content: Brief partial nudity and some language.
- Length: It is a long sit for little ones. Published runtimes range from about 130 to 139 minutes.
The Seattle’s Child reviewer suggests the film for kids around 11 and up, roughly the start of middle school, and adds a wise reminder: “know your child.” Boston Globe critic Odie Henderson, who gave the movie three and a half stars out of four, says it is best for mature tweens and older teens. A Just Jared report shared on Yahoo also points out that several scenes could frighten younger children.
What Families May Love
For older kids who are ready for it, there is a lot of good here. Reviewers praise the film’s craftsmanship, made with hundreds of puppets and hand-built sets. In a world of fast, computer-made everything, it is a beautiful lesson in patience and slow, careful work.
Prue is also a heroine worth talking about. She is not perfect, but she is brave, loyal and willing to walk into danger for the little brother she loves. That is a story as old as Scripture itself: love that will not give up on the lost.
Questions to Talk About on the Ride Home
- What made Prue brave, and when did she make mistakes?
- Is it ever right to hurt others because we are hurting inside?
- Was the deal Prue’s parents made fair? What would you have done?
- Where did you see love, loyalty or forgiveness in the story?
A Gentle Word for Parents
There is no shame in waiting. If your children are younger, more sensitive, or still working through a loss of their own, it is perfectly fine to save Wildwood for a few years from now, or to watch it yourself first. You know your children better than any critic or rating board does.
Whatever you choose, the goal is not just to avoid what is harmful, but to fill our homes with what lifts us up. The Apostle Paul gave a timeless filter for everything we watch, read and listen to:
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
(Philippians 4:8, KJV)
Movies come and go, but the conversations we have with our children about courage, love and right choices can last a lifetime. Through every storm, we rise together.
Note: Release dates and theater availability can change and may differ outside the U.S. Check your local theater before you go.
Will you take your family to see Wildwood, or wait until the kids are older? Share in the comments below.
Sources: Seattle’s Child, “Wildwood Movie Review: Is It Appropriate for Kids?” (October 23, 2026); The Boston Globe, Odie Henderson, “With ‘Wildwood’, Laika delivers its most stunning epic yet” (October 22, 2026); Just Jared via Yahoo Entertainment, AJ Pitts, “Is ‘Wildwood’ a Kids Movie? Why the Animated Film is Rated PG-13” (October 22, 2026); Screenwise, “‘Wildwood’: Why the Newest Laika Movie Earned a PG-13 Rating” (October 13, 2026).
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