Cloud Atlas poster

Cloud Atlas (2012)

Film · 2h 52m · Rated R

Drama, Sci-Fi

Six nested stories across centuries explore how individual choices echo through time, shaping one soul's journey.

Epic and cerebral. A full-attention watch at a measured pace. Emotionally it is devastating.

Not on a US subscription service as of Oct 25, 2026.

Cloud Atlas parents guide

Nothing past what an R promises: moderate sex and nudity, and strong violence.

Scare
Not scary
Jump scares
A couple
One or two sudden jolts.
Gore
Light gore
Some blood or injury, briefly.
Violence
Strong violence
Violence is frequent or intense.
Sex and nudity
Moderate
Moderate means a sex scene or nudity on screen, even brief, or sexual violence that is described or implied but never shown.
Language
Moderate
Some strong profanity, a few f-words.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

How gory is Cloud Atlas?
Light gore and strong violence.
What is Cloud Atlas rated, and is it OK for kids?
No. It is rated R, with moderate sex and nudity, strong violence, and some strong language.

What is Cloud Atlas about?

A set of six nested stories spanning time between the 19th century and a distant post-apocalyptic future. Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Based on the award winning novel by David Mitchell. Directed by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis.

Does it have a happy ending? (spoiler-safe)

It leaves the ending open to interpretation.

Cast and crew

Directed byLana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, Tom Tykwer
StarringTom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Bae Doona

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Uses the TMDB API; not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Intensity, content, tone and pace tags are CouchRot's own.