Released in 2021 and serving as the definitive end to the Daniel Craig era, No Time to Die finds James Bond retired in Jamaica. Of course, the peace doesn't last. His old CIA friend Felix Leiter shows up asking for help to find a kidnapped scientist, leading Bond onto the trail of Safin (played by Rami Malek), a villain armed with a terrifying new genetic bioweapon.

This isn't your grandfather’s Bond movie where everything resets at the end. It’s a direct sequel to Spectre, and it carries the weight of 15 years of storytelling. It’s also long—clocking in at 2 hours and 43 minutes—so make sure everyone has hit the bathroom before the opening credits.

Bond has always been the gold standard for "cool." For middle schoolers and teens, the appeal is obvious:

Learn more about why kids are drawn to high-stakes action movies

While the rating says PG-13, this is a "hard" PG-13. If your kid is used to the bloodless, quippy violence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bond might feel like a significant step up in intensity.

Between the nearly 3-hour runtime and the opening sequence—which plays like a literal horror movie involving a masked killer and a child—this is likely to be boring at best and traumatizing at worst for the elementary crowd.

This is the "maybe" zone. If they’ve seen other Bond films like Skyfall or intense thrillers like The Bourne Identity, they might be fine. However, there is a subplot involving a young child in danger that can be very stressful for some kids.

Most teens will handle the action and mature themes well. The movie deals with complex ideas like betrayal, genetic engineering, and ultimate sacrifice, which are great fodder for post-movie conversation.

The violence is frequent and impactful. People are shot, blown up, and strangled. There’s a scene involving a "bionic eye" that pops out of a character's head (it’s more gross than gory, but still). The villain, Safin, has significant facial scarring and a creepy, quiet demeanor that leans into psychological horror.

There is some profanity (including one "f-bomb" and several uses of "sh*t"), but it’s mostly standard action-movie fare. The romantic elements are more mature and emotional than the "Bond Girl" tropes of the past. Bond is in a committed, albeit complicated, relationship with Madeleine Swann.

The plot revolves around a DNA-targeted nanobot virus. In a post-2020 world, the idea of an uncontrollable, invisible killer might still be a bit "too real" for some families. It’s worth checking in with your kid to see how they feel about pandemic-adjacent storylines.

If you have a kid who gets deeply attached to characters, you need to know how this ends. James Bond dies.

For the first time in the history of the franchise, 007 does not ride off into the sunset. He chooses to stay on an island being targeted by missiles to ensure the bioweapon is destroyed and his family is safe. It is a heavy, tear-jerker ending. If your child is sensitive to the death of a hero, you might want to give them a heads-up or skip this one until they're older.

Check out our guide on helping kids process character deaths in media

If you do watch it together, here are a few ways to turn the "brain rot" action into a real conversation:

No Time to Die is a fantastic film, but it’s a heavy one. It’s a far cry from the campy gadgets and puns of the 80s. It’s a gritty, emotional, and violent farewell to a character who has been a staple of digital culture for decades.

If your teen is ready for a more "adult" cinematic experience, this is a great entry point. Just make sure you have some tissues ready for the finale.

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