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Movie · Horror, Fantasy · 2021 · TV-PG

Nightbooks: parents' guide

11+our pick

Best for ages 11 and up. Rated TV-PG.

A genuinely scary Netflix fantasy that suits kids around 11 who love horror stories. Alex, a boy teased for his love of creepy tales, is trapped in a witch's magical apartment and must tell her a new scary story every night or die. He and fellow captive Yasmin face a witch who freezes children into figurines, spider-like creatures that slash them, and a lair decorated with the skulls of children another witch has eaten. There's no romance and only mild language. The near-constant threat to kids and frequent jump scares are why we suggest 11.

What's in it

Violence

Moderate

The witch chokes children with magic and threatens to kill them. Spider-like 'shredders' badly cut the kids before being squashed, a witch is pinned under a falling wall, and another is shoved into a furnace and burned alive.

Language

Mild

Mild: one 'damn' and one 'hell,' plus 'crap' and 'sucks,' and Plugged In counted God's name misused 14 times. Classmates call Alex and Yasmin names like 'try hard' and 'creepshow.'

Sex and nudity

None

No romance, kissing or sexual content of any kind.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

None

No drinking, smoking or drugs. Magic potions knock people out or heal wounds, and enchanted candy makes kids' eyes spiral before they pass out.

Scary or intense scenes

Strong

Sustained dread from start to finish: children frozen into tiny screaming statues, ghost kids with white eyes, possessed toys, a cave full of skulls, and frequent jump scares in dark hallways. The stories Alex tells are horror tales too.

Sensitive topics

  • Death of a child
  • Bullying

Worth talking about

Alex nearly burns his stories because other kids called him weird. Why do he and Yasmin end up winning because of the very things that make them different?

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, Wikipedia, fatherly.com, Parent Previews, distractify.com. 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.