What age is The Space Between Us appropriate for?

Rated PG-13 in the US. 13, alone or with a parent; 11 in France. The whole movie, watched in full: what's in it, and how to talk about it with your child.

Why is The Space Between Us not recommended under 13?

What's in it: the official rating, first; a body that cannot bear Earth; distant gunfire and an explosion; first kisses, five swear words. The detail, fact by fact, is in the zinema guide, which reads the work itself (images, sound, dialogue).

zinema · movies · what age

The Space Between Us: what age is it for? 13, alone or with a parent

From 13, alone or with a parent.

Movie · 2017 · 2 h 01 · romance, science fiction, drama

YRS

The trailer

Alone, or with you

89101112131415161718

not yetwith an adult, or to talk about afteralonethe sweet spot

The official US rating is PG-13, and we never go below it. Alone from 13, and not before, even with an adult.

The sweet spot: around 13-14, when you start writing to someone you have never met, and you like space. Why a sweet spot?

Official US rating: PG-13. In France, zinema would say 11.

Watch the trailerContinue in zinemathen where to watch it, in zinema · more trailers, and where to watch films · Where to stream itWhere to watch

What it's about

A young man raised by scientists on Mars returns to Earth to find his father.

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 body that cannot bear EarthThe hero has bones too fragile, nosebleeds, collapses, ends up in hospital; his mother died giving birth to him, he searches for a father who does not know he exists. Car chases with the authorities.
Distant gunfire and an explosionA rocket launch, a crashed car, a few gunshots in a flashback, a brief fight.
First kisses, five swear wordsA night in a tent, suggested and chaste; five mild swear words in English.

What the movie brings

A teenage love story where one of them discovers rain, horses and people for the first time.
A child raised far away asking the simple question: where is my home?
Gentle science fiction, without monster or war.

Watching it together

Before

Say beforehand that the mother died in childbirth and that the boy is ill throughout; the ending is tender.

After

at 13 and up

Gardner would rather die on Earth than live shut away on Mars: is that a good choice?

See the facts

A weapon shown or used●●● · suggestedmeasured

Death of a character●●● · saidmeasured

Pace●●● · shownmeasured

A weapon shown or used●●○ · shownmeasured

Abandonment, separation, confinement●●○ · shownmeasured

Disaster, destruction, war●●○ · shownmeasured

Fighting, brawls●●○ · shownmeasured

Frightening imagery●●○ · shownmeasured

Kissing, romantic gestures●●○ · shownmeasured

Long dark scenes, night, storm●●○ · shownmeasured

Smoking●●○ · shownmeasured

Tense music or sound●●○ · shownmeasured

Visible injury, blood●●○ · saidmeasured

Visible injury, blood●●○ · shownmeasured

Alcohol●○○ · saidmeasured

Density of dialogue●○○ · shownmeasured

Disaster, destruction, war●○○ · suggestedmeasured

Drugs●○○ · shownmeasured

Drugs●○○ · saidmeasured

Insults, hurtful words●○○ · shownmeasured

Jump scares●○○ · shownmeasured

Swearing●○○ · shownmeasured

For the same age, on zinema

Les Caprices de l’Enfant Roi 12, 11 with a parent
The Mandalorian 14
Practical Magic 2 13
The Chosen 11, 10 with a parent

The latest guides

Back to the Future Part II 11, 10 with a parent
The Empire Strikes Back 11, 10 with a parent
Loups-Garous 13
Taxi 11, 10 with a parent

A zinema reading from September 20, 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