Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: what age is it for?
Official US rating: PG-13. In France, zinema would say 11.
Alone, or with you
The official US rating is PG-13, and we never go below it. Alone from 13, and not before, even with an adult.
What it's about
In 1926, Newt Scamander arrives at the Magical Congress of the United States of America with a magically expanded briefcase, which houses a number of dangerous creatures and their habitats. When the creatures escape from the briefcase, it sends the American wizarding authorities after Newt, and threatens to strain even further the state of magical and non-magical relations.
Why 13
- The official rating, firstRated PG-13 in the US (parents strongly cautioned, some material may be inappropriate for children under 13). zinema never goes below the country's rating: it explains it.rule
- A dark, shadowy worldMost of the film unfolds at night, in unlit streets, tunnels and basements. The darkness is not a detail here, it is the atmosphere of the whole story, and it wears on younger viewers well before anything frightening actually happens.shown
- A creature that hunts and destroysBeyond the charming beasts of the suitcase, a formless, growling force tears through the city. Its growls, its outbursts and the wrecked streets it leaves behind are genuinely menacing, and the last half hour is a long stretch of explosions and collapsing buildings.shown
- A mistreated childOne thread of the story is a boy punished and shamed by an adult who is supposed to care for him. He is often shown alone in the dark, terrified, and the cruelty is spoken plainly. This is the part that lingers longest with sensitive children, more than the magic or the monsters.shown
- Death spoken of, wounds glimpsedKillings are discussed repeatedly rather than displayed, but bodies and blood do appear briefly on walls and floors, and characters scream in fear. Threats like "you're going to die" are said out loud.shown
- Sudden jolts in the soundSeveral quiet moments break into a loud shock, plus a constant clatter of slamming doors, breaking glass and thunder. Easy to handle at twelve, hard on a child who startles easily.shown
- Speakeasy America, and a few wordsThe story is set in Prohibition New York, so alcohol and a smuggling plot are part of the backdrop, with wine, a cigarette and some talk of potions and substances. A handful of mild swear words, and a child called a "freak" more than once. A tender kiss near the end.shown
What the movie brings
- A generous idea at its heart: creatures feared by everyone turn out to be misunderstood, and the hero's weapon is patience rather than force.
- A friendship between a magical outsider and an ordinary baker, built on kindness instead of power.
- A quiet lesson about what happens to a child when adults teach him to hate himself.
Watching it together
Before you start, tell them the dark shape wrecking the city is not really a monster, it comes from a child who was badly treated, and that knowing this makes the ending easier to follow.
at 13 and up
Norbert protects animals everyone else wants destroyed. How can you tell the difference between something dangerous and something simply misunderstood?
See the facts
A zinema reading from September 7, 2026 · the whole movie, watched in full · the age by zinema's rules for the US and France, and a human reading · report an error · how this guide is made