Look, this is an exceptionally well-made film that won Jane Campion an Oscar for directing. It's beautiful, haunting, and psychologically complex. It's also absolutely not family viewing.
This is a slow-burn psychological thriller disguised as a Western, where the violence is mostly emotional rather than physical (though there's some of that too). Benedict Cumberbatch plays Phil as a cruel, calculating bully who makes everyone around him miserable, and you spend two hours watching him torment a kind woman and her sensitive teenage son. It's deeply uncomfortable by design.
The film explores repressed sexuality, toxic masculinity, and survival in a hostile world—all worthy themes for mature discussion. But it's arthouse cinema with a capital A: slow pacing, minimal dialogue, lots of lingering shots of Montana landscapes. Most teens will check their phones within 20 minutes.
If you have a film-obsessed 17-year-old who loves psychological dramas and can handle dark content, this could be a fascinating watch-together experience with lots to discuss. For everyone else? This is a 'parents watch after kids are asleep' kind of movie. The WISE score reflects that it's quality cinema with enriching themes, but it's neither wholesome nor safe for younger viewers, and honestly most people will find it a tough sit regardless of age.