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The Help (2011)

Film · 2h 26m · Rated PG-13
Drama

Three women in 1960s Mississippi forge an unlikely bond that challenges societal norms and inspires change.

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

Aibileen Clark is a middle-aged African-American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son; Minny Jackson is an African-American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family's struggles with money and her desperate need for jobs; and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a young white woman who has recently moved back home after graduating college to find out her childhood maid has mysteriously disappeared. These three stories intertwine to explain how life in Jackson, Mississippi revolves around "the help"; yet they are always kept at a certain distance because of racial lines.

How intense is The Help?

Scarenot scary
Goreno gore
Violencesome violence
Emotional weightheavy

The Help has no gore and some violence. Emotionally it is heavy. The pace is measured, and it is a full-attention watch and a family watch. Rated PG-13.

What The Help feels like

Tone
heartwarmingearnestuplifting
Pace
Measured
Best for
Full attentionFamily night

Where to stream The Help

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 13, 2026. The app filters picks to the services you actually have.

Is The Help for you?

Is The Help scary?

No. The Help is not a scary watch (scare level 0 of 3).

Is The Help gory or violent?

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

Is The Help sad or heavy?

It is emotionally heavy (2 of 3). Expect it to land.

Is The Help OK for kids?

It is rated PG-13. Intensity: scare 0, gore 0, violence 1, each out of 3. Your call for older kids.

How long is The Help?

The Help runs 2h 26m.

Where can I stream The Help?

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

Does The Help have a happy ending? spoiler-safe answer

Yes. It lands on a happy note.

Cast and crew

DirectorTate Taylor
StarringEmma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Ahna O'Reilly

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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.