Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Screenwise Verdict

Here's the truth: The Artist is objectively brilliant—a Best Picture winner that's a love letter to cinema history with gorgeous visuals, a sweet story, and a very good dog. Critics adored it. Film buffs treasure it.

But for most kids in 2025? It's going to be a tough sell. This is a silent, black-and-white film that moves at a contemplative pace. Even adults who loved it in theaters admit it requires patience. Your average 10-year-old raised on Marvel and YouTube will likely check out before the opening credits end.

That said, if you've got a budding filmmaker, a theater kid, or a curious teen who wants to understand film history, this could be genuinely enriching. The suicide attempt scene means you'll want to watch with kids 12+ and be ready to talk about depression and despair. The themes of adaptability and humility are solid.

Bottom line: This is a 'vegetables' movie—good for you, impressive on paper, but realistically most kids would rather watch literally anything else. Save it for a film studies unit or a rainy day with your most patient, artistically-inclined kid.

Age Fit

Best for film-curious tweens and teens (12+) who can handle mature themes and have the patience for silent cinema. Younger kids will likely be bored within minutes, and that's totally normal.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

82

A sweet, earnest love story set in 1920s Hollywood that models perseverance, humility, and redemption. The romantic relationship is tender and age-appropriate, with themes of friendship and loyalty (including a very good dog). The emotional tone is gentle despite the protagonist's fall from grace—his pride and subsequent depression are handled with empathy rather than melodrama. No cynicism, no cruelty, just old-fashioned heart.

Imaginative

88

This is a silent, black-and-white film made in 2011—a wildly bold creative choice that pays homage to cinema's earliest days while feeling fresh and inventive. The visual storytelling, expressive acting, and creative use of sound (there's a brilliant dream sequence where sound suddenly intrudes) invite kids to think about how stories can be told without dialogue. It's a love letter to film history that sparks curiosity about how movies were made before talkies.

Safe

85

Rated PG-13, likely for thematic elements including a suicide attempt (the protagonist holds a gun to his head in a moment of despair, though it's not graphic). There's no gore, no nudity, no sex, no violence beyond that scene. The dog is in peril at one point but survives. The suicide scene is the main safety concern—it's emotionally heavy and could be disturbing for younger or sensitive viewers, but it's not gratuitous and is resolved with hope. Overall safe for tweens and up who can handle mature themes.

Enriching

78

Won Best Picture at the Oscars (95% RT critics, 89 Metacritic, 7.8 IMDb) for good reason—it's a masterclass in visual storytelling and film history. Kids learn about the transition from silent to sound cinema, see how actors conveyed emotion without words, and witness themes of adaptability, humility, and resilience. The protagonist's arc from arrogance to humility is meaningful. That said, it's also quite slow and contemplative, which limits its entertainment value for modern kids used to faster pacing.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

A genuine cinematic achievement that teaches film history and visual storytelling without a single word of dialogue
Sweet romance and themes of humility, resilience, and reinvention that feel timeless
Features an absolutely scene-stealing dog named Uggie who deserved his own Oscar
Could spark fascinating conversations about how we tell stories and how technology changes art
Proves that 'old-fashioned' doesn't have to mean boring—if your kid is patient enough to give it a shot

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What to Watch For

The protagonist attempts suicide during his lowest moment—it's not graphic but it's emotionally heavy and needs context
This is a silent, black-and-white film from 2011 pretending to be from 1927—most modern kids will find it genuinely difficult to watch
Very slow pacing by today's standards; requires patience and an appreciation for film as art
Best as an educational experience or for kids who already love classic cinema

Conversation Starters

"How do you think actors showed emotions and told stories before they could use their voices in movies?"
"Why do you think George had such a hard time accepting that movies were changing?"
"What would it be like if all movies today suddenly had no dialogue—just music and expressions?"
"The movie shows how George's pride almost destroyed him. Have you ever seen someone (or yourself) struggle to adapt to something new?"

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