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Movie · Music, Comedy, Fantasy · 2022 · PG

Matilda the Musical: parents' guide

7+our pick

Best for ages 7 and up. Rated PG for thematic elements, exaggerated bullying and some language.

A bold, funny and often dark musical that suits most school-age kids, especially those who know the book. Brilliant Matilda is neglected and mocked by her parents and sent to a school run by the monstrous Miss Trunchbull, who flings children by their pigtails and locks them in a spiked cupboard. The cruelty is cartoonishly exaggerated, but adults mistreating children is central to the story. A tale Matilda tells includes a bad fall and a mother dying in a hospital bed. Language tops out at 'hell,' with plenty of burping. Age 7 reflects Trunchbull's menace and the sad story-within-the-story.

What's in it

Violence

Moderate

Stylized but frequent: Trunchbull hurls a girl by her pigtails, lifts a boy by his ears, and shuts kids in the 'Chokey,' a cupboard lined with spikes. Matilda's father throws her down. Telekinesis later flings Trunchbull out a window.

Language

Mild

A few uses of 'hell,' one misuse of God's name, and one review counts a 'damn.' Insults are constant: Trunchbull calls children 'maggots,' and others say 'idiot,' 'twit,' 'creep' and 'stupid.' Plenty of burp and fart jokes.

Sex and nudity

None

No romance or nudity. Only a couple of jokes about knickers, someone called a 'floozy,' and Matilda's dad grumbling at her birth that she isn't a boy.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Mild

Matilda's parents mix and drink cocktails at home on several occasions. No drunkenness, smoking or drugs.

Scary or intense scenes

Moderate

Trunchbull is genuinely menacing and the Chokey scenes feel claustrophobic. In Matilda's story, a pregnant acrobat is badly hurt in a fall and later dies in a hospital bed after giving birth. A ghostly prank and her parents' coldness can upset young kids.

Sensitive topics

  • Child abuse
  • Bullying
  • Death of a parent

Worth talking about

Matilda fights back against cruel adults, sometimes with pranks and revenge. Talk about when standing up to unfair treatment is right and when it crosses a line.

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, the-numbers.com, movieguide.org. 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.