Ages 7+ | 90 minutes | A24's most wholesome offering

This stop-motion documentary-style film about a tiny shell with one googly eye is genuinely wonderful for the whole family. It's sweet without being saccharine, deals with themes of loss and community in age-appropriate ways, and has zero content concerns.

If your tween rolls their eyes at the "baby" premise, tell them it's directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp and features Jenny Slate's voice work—it's sophisticated storytelling that happens to be about a small shell. The film handles loneliness, found family, and moving forward after loss in ways that will resonate with tweens without overwhelming them.

Why it works: Proves that A24 can do heartwarming. No scary content, no language issues, no awkward scenes. This is your gateway A24 film.

Ages 12+ | 94 minutes | Painfully accurate middle school experience

Bo Burnham's directorial debut is basically required viewing for eighth graders, but here's the thing: it's rated R for language. The f-word appears multiple times. There's a deeply uncomfortable scene where an older high school boy pressures the main character in a car (nothing happens, but it's tense).

Should your 12-year-old watch it? Honestly, probably yes—if they're actually in middle school. This film captures the anxiety, social media pressure, and awkwardness of being 13 better than anything else ever made. The language is how actual middle schoolers talk. The social situations are what they're navigating.

Should your 10-year-old watch it? No. Wait until they're living it.

The film is ultimately hopeful and shows a kid developing confidence and self-awareness. It's not traumatizing—it's validating. Just know you're tacitly approving some f-bombs, and there's a scene involving a "how to give a blowjob" tutorial video (not shown, just referenced) that might require a conversation afterward.

Ages 8+ | 114 minutes | Wait, this is A24?

Technically produced by Sony Pictures Animation but distributed by Netflix, this film has A24 vibes in its visual style and emotional depth. It's about a quirky family fighting a robot apocalypse, but really it's about a dad trying to connect with his creative daughter before she leaves for college.

Perfect for tweens who love animation but want something more sophisticated than typical kids' fare. The humor is genuinely funny for adults, the family dynamics are realistic, and the "screens are bad/screens are good" message is surprisingly nuanced. No content concerns whatsoever.

Ages 14+ | 94 minutes | The coming-of-age gold standard

Greta Gerwig's semi-autobiographical film about a high school senior in Sacramento is phenomenal, but it's firmly in the "older teen" category. There's sex (not graphic but present), underage drinking, and teenage rebellion that younger tweens might take as a how-to guide rather than a character study.

For mature 14-15 year olds, especially those thinking about college and identity, this is perfect. For 11-12 year olds, it's too much too soon.

Ages 16+ | 117 minutes | Absolutely not for tweens

Just in case your tween heard Brendan Fraser won an Oscar and wants to watch: no. This film is devastating, deals with severe obesity, self-harm, and features extremely heavy emotional content. This is a "maybe senior year of high school if they're really into serious cinema" film.

Let's be clear about what tweens should not be watching from A24's catalog, even if they insist they can handle it:

Yes, some of these are "important films." Yes, your teen will survive if they wait until they're 17 to watch them.

Understanding the appeal helps you navigate the conversation. A24 represents:

Your tween: "Everyone at school has seen Hereditary!"

Reality: Maybe three kids have, and they're either lying or have parents with very different boundaries than you.

Here's the script: "A24 makes films for adults that happen to be popular with teens. Some of their movies are appropriate for you now, and some you'll appreciate more when you're older. Let's find one that works for your age."

Then actually follow through. Don't just say no to Midsommar—offer Eighth Grade or Marcel as alternatives. Show that you're not dismissing their interest in quality cinema, you're channeling it appropriately.

Here's something important: Common Sense Media ratings for A24 films are often more conservative than necessary, because they're rating based on content presence rather than context. But they're also really useful for knowing exactly what you're getting into.

Before saying yes to any A24 film:

If your tween is genuinely interested in A24's style, here's how to build a bridge to their catalog:

Start with these safe options:

For mature 12-13 year olds:

For 14-15 year olds:

For 16+:

A24 doesn't officially have a kids' section, but they've started distributing more family-friendly content. Marcel was a deliberate move in this direction.

However, don't assume anything with their logo is automatically appropriate. Always check first. The company's brand is built on adult indie cinema, and that's still 95% of what they release.

Your tween wanting to watch A24 films is actually a great opportunity to teach media literacy:

These conversations build critical thinking skills that transfer to evaluating YouTube content, social media, and gaming choices.

A24 makes some of the best films of the last decade. They also make films that will give your 12-year-old nightmares for months.

The good news: there ARE age-appropriate options that respect your tween's growing sophistication without exposing them to content they're not ready for. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and Eighth Grade are genuinely excellent films that happen to be appropriate for younger viewers.

The better news: by engaging with your tween's interest in quality cinema now, you're building shared taste and critical thinking skills that will serve them well as they get older. In a few years, you might actually be watching Hereditary together (with all the lights on and the dog in the room for emotional support).

Next Steps:

And remember: saying "not yet" to Hereditary doesn't make you uncool. It makes you a parent who understands that great cinema will still be great cinema in five years, and your kid will appreciate it more when they're actually ready for it.