Parents' Guide to

The BFG

Movie PG 2016 115 minutes
The BFG Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Jill Murphy By Jill Murphy , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 7+

Sweet Dahl book adaptation has big heart, big scares.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 7+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 7+

Based on 32 parent reviews

age 7+

Sweet film, a bit too scary for younger ones

I personally wasn't blown away by the tale, but my 5 year old was utterly enchanted by a lot of the scenes (reaction to dream tree: "woah, that's beautiful!"). We only watched it because netflix suggested it and I started it before realising she hadn't seen it before and it was probably too scary for her, but she was so strongly insistent on watching it I couldn't really back out. 5 year old spent a lot of time hiding her eyes. Luckily I had seen it before, so I could tell her exactly what happened so she wasn't AS scared. She wouldn't have been able to watch it without an adult present and paying giving it/her their full attention - way too scary. At the end she said she thought it was more a film for her older sister (age 13). She also didn't understand most of what the BFG said, so I had to keep stopping the film to translate his language. What worries me the most about her having watched it is the possibility for nightmares. She's not scared now it's ended and it ended on a real high, soothing note, but I'm not convinced that the fear will not resurface at night. Time will tell!!
age 12+

Dark, violent, not for children, especially young girls

Violent, extremely dark themes, not for children. Young girl immediately physically snatched by giant and kept against her will. Physically grabbed multiple times, and the girl acts like it’s no big deal. Girl is not listened to. Drunk characters in the street at the beginning. Violent and scary characters. Die at the end.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (32 ):
Kids say (48 ):

The magic, fantasy, and eventual pure sweetness between the two central characters is nothing short of heartwarming. The BFG has many opportunities to highlight what being a good friend is all about -- and what it means to have strong values. Sophie, a wise-beyond-her-years orphan, is played incredibly well by Barnhill. She's fully developed as a character, but her maturity is lovingly balanced with her regular, child-like ways. This is a welcome change, since "mature kids" in movies and TV shows can often seem sassy and unrelatable.

The visuals live up to director Steven Spielberg's reputation; as always, he has a knack for bringing fantastical elements and creatures into everyday life. As for the BFG himself, Rylance will win audiences over from his first (of many) teary-eyed smile. His giant warmth and compassion, his bumbling language and missteps, and his grit and determination will leave every kid -- and parent -- wanting a BFG of their own.

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