Let's be honest: this is a beautiful, important film that almost no kid actually wants to watch.

The story of Franz Jägerstätter—an Austrian farmer who refused to fight for the Nazis and was executed for it—is profoundly moving and historically significant. The moral questions it raises about conscience, complicity, and courage are exactly the kind of enriching content we want teens engaging with. The cinematography is stunning, the performances are excellent, and the critical acclaim is well-deserved.

But this is a nearly 3-hour Terrence Malick art film with glacial pacing, minimal dialogue, and a devastating ending. It's the kind of movie that wins awards and puts most audiences to sleep. Even adults who appreciate slow cinema find this one challenging.

For the right teen—one who's genuinely interested in WWII resistance stories, enjoys contemplative films, or is wrestling with big questions about faith and morality—this could be transformative. For everyone else, it's homework in the worst sense.

If your high schooler is studying WWII or moral philosophy, consider watching key scenes together rather than demanding they sit through the whole thing. The story matters, but let's not pretend this is realistically watchable for most modern viewers under 25.