Won: Best Picture, Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), Best Supporting Actress (Teyana Taylor), Best Adapted Screenplay

This war drama swept the top categories, which means it's going to be everywhere in pop culture conversations. But this is a hard R-rated film with intense battle sequences, violence, and mature themes about war. Paul Thomas Anderson makes beautiful, challenging films—but they're not for middle schoolers, no matter how much they insist "everyone" has seen it.

Parent call: This is firmly high school territory, and even then, it depends on your teen's maturity level and interest in war films. If your 16-year-old is a film buff who's watched Saving Private Ryan with you, maybe. Your 13-year-old who just wants to be part of the conversation? Not yet.

Won: Best Original Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Ensemble

Led the nominations going into the night, which means it's been building buzz for months. This one also deals with mature themes—the title alone should give you a hint. Strong performances, but the content includes adult situations, violence, and language.

Parent call: Another high school option, and again, depends on your family's comfort level. This isn't gratuitous content, but it's definitely adult storytelling.

Won: Best Actor (Timothée Chalamet)

Your kids probably know Timothée Chalamet from Dune or Wonka. This performance is getting massive praise, which means middle schoolers are going to be curious. The film itself is a character study with some mature themes, but less intense than the war dramas that dominated the night.

Parent call: Potentially appropriate for mature middle schoolers (13+), but preview it first. Chalamet's star power is real, and this could be a good conversation starter about what makes a great performance.

Won: Best Actress (Jessie Buckley), Best Ensemble

Based on the novel about Shakespeare's son, this is a period drama with emotional intensity around grief and loss. It's beautifully made but heavy—not in terms of violence or language, but in terms of themes.

Parent call: This could work for high schoolers studying Shakespeare or interested in historical drama. It's slow-paced and literary, so even if the content is appropriate, your teen might find it boring unless they're already into this kind of storytelling.

Won: Best Animated Feature

Finally, something that sounds fun! But here's the catch: it's rated PG-13 for action and thematic elements. The title is accurate—there are demons, there's hunting, and the action sequences can be intense. Think less Encanto, more Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in terms of intensity.

Parent call: Great for tweens and teens (10+) who can handle animated action. If your kid loved The Last Airbender or anime-style storytelling, this could be perfect. Younger kids might find the demon elements scary.

About 92% of families in our Screenwise community report some TV usage, with 40% watching Netflix regularly and 50% watching Disney+ together as a family. Awards shows often drive what families add to their watch lists, so here's what won on the TV side:

Won: Best Limited Series

This teen-focused drama won big, but it includes strong language and mature themes about—you guessed it—adolescence. Sexual content, substance use, mental health struggles, all the stuff that comes with being a teenager. It's well-made and probably resonates deeply with actual teens, but it's not something to put on during family dinner.

Parent call: 16+ if you're watching together and ready to have conversations. Not appropriate for the age group it's depicting (early teens).

Won: Best Drama Series

Medical drama with intense hospital situations. If your family loved Grey's Anatomy, this is in that vein—compelling storytelling but with medical trauma, ethical dilemmas, and adult relationships.

Won: Best Comedy Series

Behind-the-scenes Hollywood comedy. Generally lighter fare than the dramas, but still aimed at adults with industry humor and some mature content.

Won: Best Talk Show

Late-night talk shows are generally family-friendly in the moment (though humor can go over younger kids' heads), but be aware that clips can include political content or celebrity interviews with mature topics.

Here's what the data tells us: 80% of families use Netflix, with 40% letting kids browse the kids' section and another 40% watching regularly as a family. About 62% use Amazon Prime, with 32% supervising their kids' viewing. And 80% have Disney+, with half watching together and 30% letting kids watch independently.

Awards shows create this interesting pressure point: suddenly all these "prestige" titles are trending on streaming platforms, showing up in "Because you watched..." recommendations, and your kids are seeing them promoted front and center.

The problem? Prestige often means mature. The films and shows that win major awards are usually telling complex, adult stories. That's not a bad thing—it's just a mismatch with what most elementary and middle school kids are ready for, no matter how sophisticated they think they are.

"Can we watch the movie that won Best Picture?"

Option 1: "Let's look it up together and see what it's about." Pull up Common Sense Media, read the parents' guide together, and make it a conversation. Learn more about how to evaluate content with your kids.

Option 2: "That one's pretty intense, but I found something similar that might work better." Redirect to age-appropriate alternatives. If they're interested in One Battle After Another because of the war story, maybe 1917 for older teens or Dunkirk (still intense but slightly less graphic).

Option 3: "I'll watch it first, and we can talk about whether it's something we can watch together." This works great for teens—it shows you're taking their request seriously while maintaining boundaries.

Elementary (K-5): The Critics Choice Awards aren't really relevant here. If your younger kids are asking about winners because of school conversations, redirect to the animated category (K-Pop Demon Hunters for 10+) or talk about the spectacle of the event itself—the fashion, the speeches, the celebration of storytelling.

Middle School (6-8): This is peak FOMO territory. Everyone's talking about the winners, and your kid feels left out. Focus on the craft—why did Sinners win Best Original Screenplay? What makes a great screenplay? You can appreciate filmmaking without watching content that's too mature. Consider watching behind-the-scenes content or interviews with the filmmakers instead.

High School (9-12): More flexibility here, but still worth evaluating case-by-case. A 14-year-old and an 18-year-old are in very different places developmentally. Use this as an opportunity to build media literacy—why do certain films win awards? What's the difference between "good" and "entertaining"? Explore how to talk about media quality with teens.

If your family wants to participate in the awards conversation without diving into R-rated content, here are some moves:

The 2026 Critics Choice Awards celebrated excellent filmmaking and television—but excellent doesn't always mean appropriate for kids. Most of the big winners this year are firmly in the mature content category, which is completely normal for prestige awards.

Your job isn't to shield your kids from knowing these films exist or to make them feel bad for being curious. It's to help them understand that different stories are made for different audiences, and that waiting to watch something until you're ready doesn't mean you're missing out—it means you'll appreciate it more when the time comes.

The good news? We're living in an era of incredible storytelling across all age ranges. While your teen waits to be old enough for One Battle After Another, there's no shortage of age-appropriate films that are just as well-made. Ask our chatbot for award-winning films by age range.

And if you're feeling pressure because "everyone else" is letting their kids watch these winners? Remember: 20% of families in our community don't use streaming services at all, and among those who do, supervised viewing is the norm. You're not being overprotective—you're being intentional.