Mad Max Fury Road – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Mad Max Fury Road

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2015

48%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A two-hour car chase through hell with a flame-throwing guitar and surprising feminist themes—but definitely NOT a family movie night pick.

8.1/10

97%

7.6

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Mad Max Fury Road

movie

R, 2015

48%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A two-hour car chase through hell with a flame-throwing guitar and surprising feminist themes—but definitely NOT a family movie night pick.

8.1

97%

7.6

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8.1/10

97%

7.6

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, Mad Max Fury Road is an absolute masterpiece of action cinema—critics and audiences agree. It's visually stunning, imaginatively bonkers, and surprisingly thoughtful about female agency and resistance.

But let's be crystal clear: this is NOT for kids. The violence is constant and intense. The world is brutal and disturbing. People are enslaved, used as blood bags, and treated as breeding stock. It's R-rated for very good reasons.

For older teens (16+) who can handle mature content, this is actually a fascinating film to discuss. The environmental themes, the cult dynamics, the female solidarity—there's real substance here beyond the explosions. And if you've got a teen interested in filmmaking, the practical effects and visual storytelling are a masterclass.

Just don't let your 10-year-old wander in because they saw 'Max' and thought it was a superhero movie. This is desert apocalypse nightmare fuel, beautifully crafted but absolutely not for younger viewers.

Age Fit

This is for older teens (16+) who can handle intense R-rated violence and dark themes. Younger teens will be too disturbed, and adults who love action cinema will also enjoy it—there's no upper age limit on appreciating masterful filmmaking.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This is a relentless, violent action film set in a brutal dystopian world. While Furiosa's rebellion against tyranny and the theme of female empowerment are positive, the overall tone is dark, chaotic, and features minimal kindness or cooperation beyond survival alliances. The pacing is intentionally frenetic with almost non-stop action. Not emotionally nurturing content.

Imaginative

Visually stunning and wildly original post-apocalyptic world-building. The practical effects, vehicle designs, and wasteland culture (war boys, flame-throwing guitar) are incredibly creative and distinctive. Invites imagination about survival, rebellion, and what society might look like after collapse. The visual storytelling is masterful and unlike anything else in modern cinema.

Safe

This is an R-rated action film (though MPAA rating not provided in data, widely known to be R). Features intense violence throughout, including gunfights, explosions, people being run over, and disturbing imagery. Some characters are used as 'blood bags.' Brief nudity of enslaved women. The violence is stylized but constant and graphic. This is NOT safe for young children and parents need to know exactly what they're getting into.

Enriching

Despite being an action spectacle, the film offers surprisingly rich themes: female agency and escape from sexual slavery, environmental collapse, cult-like manipulation, redemption, and choosing hope over nihilism. Furiosa is a complex, capable female protagonist. The minimal dialogue forces visual literacy. It's entertaining as pure cinema while offering substantive ideas about power, freedom, and humanity. Teens can extract real meaning from it.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Visually stunning practical effects and cinematography that teens interested in filmmaking will appreciate
Strong female protagonist (Furiosa) who drives the narrative and her own liberation
Themes of resistance against tyranny, bodily autonomy, and environmental collapse that spark meaningful discussion
Minimal dialogue means the storytelling is visual and kinetic—great for understanding 'show don't tell'
Widely acclaimed as one of the best action films ever made, so culturally relevant for older teens

⚠

What to Watch For

Intense, sustained violence throughout—gunfights, explosions, vehicular combat, people used as 'blood bags'
Dark dystopian themes including sexual slavery, forced breeding, and cult-like control
Brief nudity when enslaved women are shown
Relentlessly chaotic pacing that may be overwhelming even for some teens
This is firmly R-rated content—do not let younger kids stumble into this thinking it's a superhero movie

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think Furiosa risked everything to help the wives escape? What does freedom mean in that world?"
"The War Boys are brainwashed to sacrifice themselves for Immortan Joe. How do cults and authoritarian leaders manipulate people like that?"
"What do you think caused the world to become a wasteland? How does that connect to environmental issues today?"
"Max barely talks in this movie. How did the filmmakers tell his story without much dialogue?"
"Furiosa is missing an arm but it's never treated as a limitation. What did you think about how the movie handled disability?"

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