Is War of the Worlds scary?

Yes, properly. War of the Worlds is the real thing without being an endurance test.

How gory is War of the Worlds?

Light gore and strong violence.

What is War of the Worlds rated, and is it OK for kids?

It is rated PG-13, with real scares, several jump scares and some strong language. Your call for older kids.

War of the Worlds (2005)

Film · 1h 57m · Rated PG-13

Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

An ordinary father fights to keep his children alive as an alien invasion relentlessly reshapes their world.

Suspenseful and epic. A full-attention watch at full speed. Emotionally it is heavy.

Streaming on Max, Paramount+, Peacock, Starz and Kanopy (free).

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War of the Worlds parents guide

It stays inside its PG-13, with real scares and several jump scares.

Our estimate: fine from about 13. Rated PG-13.

Scare: Properly scary; Frightening, not just tense.
Jump scares: Several; More than a couple of sudden jolts.
Gore: Light gore; Some blood or injury, briefly.
Violence: Strong violence; Violence is frequent or intense.
Sex and nudity: None noted
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

Is War of the Worlds scary?: Yes, properly. War of the Worlds is the real thing without being an endurance test.
How gory is War of the Worlds?: Light gore and strong violence.
What is War of the Worlds rated, and is it OK for kids?: It is rated PG-13, with real scares, several jump scares and some strong language. Your call for older kids.

What is War of the Worlds about?

Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daughter for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.

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

It leaves things open rather than tying them up.