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Movie · Comedy, Fantasy, Animated · 2001 · G

Monsters, Inc.: parents' guide

5+our pick

Best for ages 5 and up. Rated G.

A funny, warm Pixar comedy that works for most kids from about 5. Monsters power their city by scaring children, until top scarer Sulley and his buddy Mike accidentally let a toddler, Boo, into their world. The monsters fear her more than she fears them, which takes the edge off, but the villain straps Boo into a scream-extracting machine in one intense scene, and Sulley briefly believes she's been crushed in a trash compactor. Language is limited to insults and a cut-off 'What the...,' and romance stops at Mike's dinner date. A few scary moments for sensitive preschoolers are why we suggest 5.

What's in it

Violence

Mild

Slapstick and cartoon scuffles: the villain Randall attacks Sulley and slams Mike against a wall, Boo whacks Randall with a toy bat, and Randall is beaten with a shovel in silhouette. No real injuries are shown.

Language

None

No profanity. A cut-off 'What the...' is heard twice, along with insults like 'creep,' 'idiot,' 'jerk' and 'stupid.'

Sex and nudity

None

Mike flirts with his girlfriend Celia, kisses her a few times and takes her on a dinner date; nothing more.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

None

No drinking, smoking or drug use.

Scary or intense scenes

Moderate

Monsters roar and lurk in kids' bedrooms, and Boo is terrified when she sees Sulley's scary side. The scene where Randall straps her into the scream extractor is genuinely frightening, and a chase through a vast warehouse of doors is fast and tense.

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, childrenandmedia.org.au. 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.