Greenland: Migration and the 'Nihilist Penguin' Meme
TL;DR: The Greenland: Migration disaster sequel hits theaters this week, and it's intense — probably too much for most kids under 13. Meanwhile, a penguin from the movie has become the internet's latest existential mascot. Here's what parents need to know about both.
Greenland: Migration is the follow-up to 2020's Greenland, the comet-disaster film that actually wasn't terrible (low bar, I know). The original followed a family trying to reach safety bunkers in Greenland as fragments of a comet destroyed Earth. This sequel picks up after the impact, following survivors attempting to migrate across a frozen, post-apocalyptic landscape to find habitable zones.
Gerard Butler is back, along with Morena Baccarin, and the stakes are somehow even higher — which is saying something when the first movie literally ended civilization as we know it.
Short answer: Probably not for most tweens and younger teens.
The MPAA rating is PG-13 for "intense sequences of disaster action, violence, and disturbing images." That's studio-speak for: people die on screen, there's resource scarcity violence, and the overall vibe is pretty bleak.
If your kid handled the first Greenland okay, they might be fine with this one. But that movie had hope baked into its DNA — the family was trying to survive. This sequel is more about what happens when survival becomes the new normal, and it's not pretty. Think The Road but with a bigger budget and slightly less cannibalism.
Age guidance:
- Under 11: Hard pass. The emotional weight alone is a lot, even if they can handle the action sequences.
- 11-13: Depends entirely on your kid. If they're into disaster movies and can handle darker themes about humanity under pressure, maybe. But be ready for some heavy conversations afterward.
- 14+: Most teens can handle it, though the nihilistic tone might hit different depending on their current mental health and worldview. (More on that below.)
The violence isn't gratuitous, but it's present and consequence-heavy. People freeze to death. Resources are scarce. There's a scene involving a makeshift refugee camp that's genuinely disturbing because it feels plausible.
Now, about that penguin.
There's a brief scene in the movie where the main characters encounter a lone penguin in the frozen wasteland (climate shift logic, don't overthink it). The penguin just... stands there. Stares into the middle distance. Exists in the void.
Someone screen-recorded it, added the caption "me accepting that nothing matters," and it went viral on TikTok. Within 48 hours of the movie's premiere, the "nihilist penguin" became the internet's newest reaction image for existential dread.
Why kids are obsessed:
The penguin meme is Gen Z/Gen Alpha humor in its purest form — absurdist, self-aware, and vaguely depressing but in a way that feels funny because everyone's in on the joke. It's the spiritual successor to the "this is fine" dog and the "guess I'll die" skeleton.
Your kid is probably seeing variations like:
- "POV: You remembered you have homework due in 5 minutes" + penguin stare
- "When your parents ask what you want for dinner for the 47th time" + penguin
- "Me watching my Duolingo streak die because I forgot one day" + penguin
According to Screenwise community data, about 42% of kids are using YouTube unsupervised, and 8% are on TikTok (though let's be real, that number is probably higher in practice). This meme is spreading across both platforms, along with Instagram Reels and even making its way to Discord servers.
Honestly? Probably not.
The nihilist penguin is just the latest in a long line of "mood" memes that kids use to process feelings they don't quite have words for yet. It's not actually promoting nihilism any more than the "sad Keanu" meme made everyone depressed about bench-sitting.
That said, if your kid is really leaning into nihilistic humor consistently, it might be worth a check-in conversation. Not because memes are dangerous, but because sometimes humor is how kids test-drive heavier emotions before they're ready to talk about them directly.
Questions you could ask:
- "I keep seeing this penguin everywhere — what's the deal?"
- "Do you think it's funny because it's relatable, or just because it's random?"
- "How are you actually feeling about [school/life/the future]?"
Greenland: Migration is part of a broader trend of climate-adjacent disaster content that's becoming increasingly common. Unlike the disaster movies of the '90s and 2000s (looking at you, The Day After Tomorrow), these newer films don't shy away from the aftermath. They're less "can humanity prevent the disaster?" and more "okay, it happened, now what?"
For some kids, especially those already anxious about climate change, this kind of content can be validating — seeing their fears reflected on screen and watching characters navigate them. For others, it's just more fuel for the anxiety fire.
Know your kid. If they're already doom-scrolling climate news and spiraling, maybe skip this one. If they're the type who processes big fears through fiction, it might actually be helpful — but watch it together and talk afterward.
If you do watch together:
- Be ready to pause and discuss. The movie raises questions about resource allocation, who gets saved, and what happens when systems collapse. Heavy stuff.
- Talk about the difference between movie disasters and real-world preparedness. This isn't a documentary, but it might spark questions about emergency plans.
- Acknowledge that the movie is designed to be intense. That's the point. But intensity in fiction is different from reality.
If your kid just wants to meme about the penguin:
- Let them. It's harmless.
- Maybe ask what makes it funny to them — you might learn something about how they're feeling.
- Resist the urge to explain why nihilism is philosophically problematic. They know. It's a joke.
If your kid wants disaster content but Greenland: Migration is too intense, consider:
- The Wild Robot — Survival story with heart, beautiful animation, and way less existential dread. (Ages 7+)
- Wall-E — Post-apocalyptic but make it adorable. Still has environmental themes without the trauma. (Ages 6+)
- A Quiet Place — If they want suspense but can handle monster-movie scares better than human-on-human violence. (Ages 13+)
- The 100 — Post-apocalyptic teen drama series. Still heavy, but spreads the intensity across episodes. (Ages 14+)
Greenland: Migration is a well-made disaster sequel that doesn't pull punches. It's too intense for most kids under 13, and even teens might find it heavy depending on their current headspace. The nihilist penguin meme is harmless internet nonsense that happens to be very, very funny if you're 14.
As always, you know your kid best. If they're asking to see it, watch the original Greenland first as a test run. If they handle that fine and want more, have the conversation about what to expect. And if they just want to send you penguin memes? Let them. We could all use a little absurdist humor right now.
- Check if your tween/teen is ready: Ask our chatbot about disaster movie readiness by age
- Preview the original: Watch Greenland together first (available on most streaming platforms)
- Set expectations: If you decide to watch Greenland: Migration, talk beforehand about what makes it PG-13 and agree on a plan if it gets too intense
- Embrace the memes: Seriously, the penguin is funny. Learn more about why Gen Alpha humor works the way it does