Hamilton: parents' guide
Best for ages 12 and up. Rated PG-13 for language and some suggestive material.
A filmed stage musical that many families love, full of history, wit and rapid-fire hip-hop lyrics. Most of the content is in the words: one f-word remains (quick and hard to hear, after two others were cut), and several s-words and other swearing fly by. Hamilton has an affair, staged as a steamy dance number, and some lyrics joke about sex. Violence is stylized and bloodless, but war, deadly duels, and a son's death followed by his parents' grief land hard. Best for about 12 and up.
What's in it
Violence
ModerateStylized and bloodless: war numbers with muskets and cannon sounds, and several duels in which a main character and his son are shot and die. The opening number alludes to a cousin's suicide by hanging, and lyrics recount his mother's death when he was a boy.
Language
ModerateOne f-word remains in this version, fast and barely audible, plus an implied 'motherf---er'; at least five s-words, and 'bastard,' 'whore,' 'bitch,' 'prick,' 'damn' and 'hell.' God's and Jesus' names are used as exclamations often.
Sex and nudity
ModerateHamilton's affair with a married woman is staged as a sensual duet, and Burr also has an affair. Lyrics mention deflowering women, undressing and sex. Kisses, pelvic thrusts and low-cut gowns, but no nudity.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
MildSocial drinking: toasts with wine, beer and shots at a tavern, a wedding and a farewell, with a few characters getting tipsy. No drugs or smoking.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateNo jump scares, but on-stage deaths in war and duels, and the wrenching grief of parents who lose a child, may upset sensitive kids.
Sensitive topics
- Death of a child
- Death of a parent
Worth talking about
The show casts actors of color as the founders but says little about slavery. Ask your teen what that choice adds to the story and what it leaves out.
On our lists
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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, the MPA, movieguide.org, bbfc.co.uk. 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.