Red One: parents' guide
Best for ages 12 and up. Rated PG-13 for action, some violence, and language.
A loud Christmas action comedy that plays best for tweens and teens rather than young kids. Dwayne Johnson's Santa security chief teams up with a cynical hacker, played by Chris Evans, to rescue a kidnapped Santa from a winter witch. Fights are constant but bloodless, with punches, explosions, stun weapons and attacks by Krampus, hellhounds and toothy snowmen. Language is the main concern for parents: several s-words, a cut-off f-word and frequent use of God's name. Evans's character neglects his son and is shown hungover after a binge, though he changes for the better by the end.
What's in it
Violence
ModerateFrequent action: repeated fistfights, explosions, crashes, stun weapons that freeze people in place, a Krampus slapping contest that can end in death, and snowmen that attack. Lots of bodies flying, little or no blood.
Language
ModeratePlugged In counted eight s-words, nine uses of hell and ten misuses of God's name, plus one f-word cut off partway. Other words include a-hole, dickhead, balls and morons.
Sex and nudity
MildNo sex or romance. Beach scenes feature thong bikinis and Speedos, Jack ogles a woman's rear for a few seconds, and there are a few mild innuendos.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModerateJack is found passed out in a bathtub beside a nearly empty bourbon bottle, then drives recklessly while hungover. He also sips from a flask, and other adults drink.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateMonsters may frighten younger viewers: Krampus and his hellhounds, a shape-shifting witch who possesses a man, and snowmen with sharp teeth and axes. Santa is kidnapped, and a child is put in danger.
Worth talking about
The film argues that every day offers a new chance to be good. Talk about how Jack starts to change once someone believes in him.
On our lists
Similar picks around 12+
Checked October 24th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, 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.