Okay, so here’s the deal. I recently had to dive into figuring out if “Surprise” (you know, that movie?) was okay for my niece and nephew to watch. Figuring out what’s good for kids these days is a whole thing, right?
First thing’s first: Google it! I literally typed “surprise 2023 parents guide” into the search bar. A bunch of websites popped up that claimed to have all the answers. Thing is, you can’t just trust everything you read online. So, I started digging.
- Read a bunch of reviews: I checked out Common Sense Media, IMDb, and a few other places where parents usually leave reviews. I was mainly looking for mentions of violence, bad language, or anything else that would make it a no-go for younger kids.
- Watched the trailer myself: Yeah, I know, sounds obvious. But sometimes the trailer gives you a better idea of the movie’s vibe than the descriptions do. Plus, I wanted to see if there were any scenes that looked particularly scary or inappropriate.
- Asked around: I messaged a couple of my friends who have kids a similar age to my niece and nephew. They’re usually pretty good at knowing what’s age-appropriate.
What I found out: Okay, so based on what I gathered, “Surprise” is mostly fine for older kids (like, 8 or 9 and up). There’s not a ton of violence, and the language isn’t too bad. But, there are a few scenes that might be a little scary for younger viewers, and some of the themes might be a bit over their heads.
My final decision: I decided it was okay for my nephew (who’s 9) to watch, but I told my sister to maybe fast-forward through the scarier parts if my niece (who’s 6) was watching too. Better safe than sorry, you know?
Bottom Line:
Doing a little bit of research is always worth it when it comes to kids’ movies. It only took me like 30 minutes, and it gave me peace of mind knowing I wasn’t letting them watch anything too crazy.
