Dead Poets Society: parents' guide
Best for ages 13 and up. Rated PG.
An inspiring, emotional drama about an unconventional English teacher at a strict 1950s boys' prep school, rewarding for teens but with one devastating turn: a student dies by suicide after clashing with a controlling parent. The gunshot happens off screen, but his parents finding him and his classmates' grief are shown. The boys smoke constantly, one gets drunk at a party, and there is a brief topless magazine photo and about half a dozen s-words. It is rated PG, but we suggest 13 and up because the suicide is central and lingers.
What's in it
Violence
ModerateA student shoots himself off screen; his father finds the pistol on the floor, and his parents cradle him. A boy is beaten at a party and left with a bloody nose, another is punched, and the headmaster paddles a student.
Language
ModerateAbout half a dozen s-words, including "bullshit," plus "damn," "goddamn," "Jesus" and the boys' running joke calling their school "Hell-ton."
Sex and nudity
ModerateA student shows off a Playboy centerfold, giving a brief look at a topless woman. Boys joke about virginity, there's a masturbation reference, couples kiss at a party, and a drunk boy kisses another boy's girlfriend, which gets him beaten.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModeratePeriod-typical smoking everywhere: adults and students puff pipes and cigarettes, the boys often in secret. One boy downs whiskey shots at a party and gets drunk.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateThe suicide and its aftermath are the hardest part: a mother's screams, a father's anguish and his friends' grief. A beloved teacher is blamed and fired, and the ending is sorrowful though uplifting.
Sensitive topics
- Suicide
- Death of a child
Worth talking about
The boy who dies felt he had no one to turn to. If you ever felt that trapped, who could you talk to, and how can you tell when a friend is struggling?
On our lists
Similar picks around 13+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, bbfc.co.uk, Wikipedia, shmoop.com, litcharts.com, economia.unipd.it, the MPA. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.