Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, Cruella is a visual feast. The costumes won an Oscar for a reason, and Emma Stone is having the time of her life chewing scenery in 1970s punk London. It's genuinely entertaining if you're old enough to appreciate a morally complex antihero story.

But here's the thing: this is NOT a kids' movie, despite the Disney label and the 101 Dalmatians connection. A beloved parental figure gets murdered on screen. The entire arc is about embracing your worst impulses and using manipulation and revenge to succeed. There's no redemption, no real growth toward kindness—just a descent into stylish villainy.

For teens who can handle darker themes and understand moral complexity, this could spark interesting conversations about identity, trauma, and whether the ends justify the means. For younger kids expecting a fun puppy movie? This will be confusing at best and genuinely upsetting at worst.

The 134-minute runtime doesn't help either—it's long and occasionally drags. If your teen is into fashion, heist movies, or complex female characters, go for it. But maybe save the younger siblings for Encanto instead.

Age Fit

Best for teens 13+ who can handle dark themes and moral ambiguity. The death scene and revenge-driven plot make this too intense for the under-10 crowd who might be drawn in by the Disney branding and puppy connection.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

42

The film centers on a revenge-driven protagonist who embraces her 'wicked side' and becomes increasingly morally ambiguous. While visually stunning, it models manipulation, theft, and vengeance as paths to success. The tone is dark and cynical rather than emotionally healthy, with minimal modeling of kindness or cooperation beyond the core trio of thieves. The Baroness is cruel and murderous, and Cruella's transformation celebrates becoming ruthless.

Imaginative

78

Genuinely creative origin story that reimagines a classic villain through the lens of 1970s punk rock fashion. The costume design and visual aesthetic are spectacular and could inspire creative expression in fashion, art, and design. The heist sequences and fashion 'attacks' show inventive problem-solving. However, it's more about consuming spectacle than inviting participation or building.

Safe

55

PG-13 level content with some concerning elements: the Baroness murders Cruella's adoptive mother by pushing her off a cliff (shown on screen), there's a reveal about infanticide attempts, characters engage in theft and arson, and dogs are put in peril multiple times. The violence isn't gory but it's present and emotionally heavy. No sexual content or nudity. The dark themes of revenge, maternal abandonment, and murder make this unsafe for younger viewers who might expect a lighter Disney film.

Enriching

58

Offers some interesting commentary on creativity, identity, and finding your voice in a world that wants to suppress you. The fashion industry backdrop provides insight into art and self-expression. However, the core message is problematic: success comes through manipulation, revenge, and embracing your worst impulses. Limited ethical growth or meaningful character development since the arc is about becoming MORE ruthless. Entertaining but not particularly enriching beyond surface-level themes about individuality.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Absolutely gorgeous costume design and 1970s London aesthetic that could inspire budding fashion designers and artists
Emma Stone delivers a charismatic, complex performance that shows how trauma and ambition can shape identity
Clever heist sequences and 'fashion attacks' demonstrate creative problem-solving and theatrical flair
Offers a conversation starter about how we become who we are and whether our worst impulses define us
The soundtrack is genuinely fantastic if your kid is into classic rock

⚠

What to Watch For

A parental figure is pushed off a cliff to her death on-screen—this is genuinely traumatic and not what younger kids expect from Disney
The entire premise celebrates revenge, manipulation, and theft as viable paths to success with minimal consequences
Dogs are repeatedly put in danger (though never harmed), which could distress animal-loving kids
The Baroness is a genuinely cruel villain who attempted infanticide—this gets dark
At 134 minutes, it's long and may drag for kids expecting more action

Conversation Starters

"Cruella goes from wanting to fit in to embracing being 'wicked'—do you think she made the right choice, or did she lose something important along the way?"
"The movie shows how Cruella uses fashion as a weapon and a statement. What are ways people express themselves that feel powerful to you?"
"The Baroness is terrible, but does that make it okay for Cruella to become just as ruthless? Where's the line?"
"How do you think Cruella's childhood trauma shaped who she became? Could she have turned out differently?"
"If you could design an outfit that made a statement about who you are, what would it look like?"

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