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City of Ember poster

City of Ember (2008)

Film · 1h 35m · Rated PG
AdventureFamilyFantasy

Teenagers race against time in a subterranean city where the lights are failing and secrets are buried.

No CouchRot Score yet. It needs five ratings from the community, and the app is where you rate.

For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker. Now, two teenagers, in a race against time, must search Ember for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of the city's existence, before the the lights go out forever.

How intense is City of Ember?

Scarenot scary
Goreno gore
Violencesome violence
Emotional weightsome weight

City of Ember has no gore and some violence. Emotionally it carries some weight. The pace is measured, and it is a family watch and a full-attention watch. Rated PG.

What City of Ember feels like

Tone
suspensefulatmospheric
Pace
Measured
Best for
Family nightFull attention

Where to stream City of Ember

Not on a US subscription service at our last check. Rent or buy may still be an option.

US availability via TMDB, last checked Sep 16, 2026. The app filters picks to the services you actually have.

Is City of Ember for you?

Is City of Ember scary?

No. City of Ember is not a scary watch (scare level 0 of 3).

Is City of Ember gory or violent?

No gore (0 of 3) and some violence (1 of 3). Squeamish viewers are fine here.

Is City of Ember sad or heavy?

A little. There is some emotional weight (1 of 3), but it is not a heavy watch.

Is City of Ember OK for kids?

It is rated PG and nothing here runs hot: scare 0, gore 0, violence 1, each out of 3. A safe family pick by the numbers.

How long is City of Ember?

City of Ember runs 1h 35m.

Where can I stream City of Ember?

City of Ember is not on a US subscription service right now (rent or buy may still be an option).

Does City of Ember have a happy ending? spoiler-safe answer

It leaves things open rather than tying them up.

Cast and crew

DirectorGil Kenan
StarringSaoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, David Ryall, Tim Robbins, Mackenzie Crook

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This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Intensity, tone and pace tags are CouchRot's own.