Tenet: parents' guide
Best for ages 13 and up. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some suggestive references and brief strong language.
A loud, mind-bending spy thriller from Christopher Nolan that suits teens who enjoy brainy action. A CIA operative learns to move backward through time to stop an arms dealer from triggering the end of the world. Gunfights, explosions and beatings run throughout, mostly with little blood, but there's a torture scene, a man beaten to death largely out of frame, and a storyline about a husband who hits, threatens and finally shoots his wife and uses their son as leverage. Strong language is rare, with one f-word. The domestic abuse, torture and a villain who plans his own death are why we suggest 13.
What's in it
Violence
ModerateNear-constant action: shootouts, explosions, car crashes, battle scenes and fistfights, with many deaths but little blood. A captive's teeth are pulled offscreen, a man is bludgeoned with a gold bar mostly out of frame, and a husband hits, kicks and later shoots his wife.
Language
ModerateInfrequent but noticeable: one f-word and at least four s-words, plus bitch, ass, piss, hell, goddamn and bloody, and Jesus used as an exclamation twice.
Sex and nudity
MildNo sex or nudity. A woman wears a bikini, men appear shirtless, there's mild flirtation, and characters talk about a staged affair and the villain's marriage.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
MildAdults drink wine and cocktails with meals and vodka at a meeting; nobody gets drunk. The hero bites a capsule he believes is a cyanide pill to avoid giving up secrets.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateHigh tension throughout: a bound man is tortured, a villain describes graphic ways to hurt people, a woman lives in fear of her abusive husband, someone nearly drowns, and the stakes are nuclear catastrophe.
Sensitive topics
- Domestic abuse
- Suicide
Worth talking about
Kat stays with Sator to protect her son. Why can it be so hard to leave an abusive relationship, and what helps people get out safely?
On our lists
Similar picks around 13+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, Wikipedia, bbfc.co.uk, the MPA. 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.