The Father: parents' guide
Best for ages 14 and up. Rated PG-13 for some strong language, and thematic material.
A brilliant but painful drama about dementia that is best for teens who can handle sadness, ideally watched with a parent. Anthony Hopkins plays an elderly man whose grip on reality is slipping, and the film puts us inside his confusion as faces, rooms and timelines keep shifting. Content is light: occasional f-words and s-words, a few slaps, an imagined strangling and moderate drinking. What makes it hard is the emotional weight of a parent losing himself and a family under strain, ending in a heartbreaking final scene. That intensity is why we suggest 14; families caring for someone with dementia may find it especially raw.
What's in it
Violence
MildA man slaps the elderly father across the face more than once while berating him, though how much is real is unclear. His daughter imagines strangling him in bed. He recalls seeing another daughter bruised in hospital after an accident.
Language
ModerateOccasional strong words: f-word, s-word and bitch, plus crude terms like tits and 'retarded.' One count found six obscenities in total.
Sex and nudity
NoneNo sex, nudity or romance. The father flirts awkwardly with a young caregiver and calls her gorgeous; nothing more.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
MildWine with dinner and the occasional whiskey; nobody is shown drunk. Pills and prescribed medication come up as part of his care.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateNo horror, but deeply unsettling: the shifting point of view makes viewers share the man's fear and paranoia, he believes people are stealing from him, and he breaks down sobbing for his mother in a care home.
Sensitive topics
- Domestic abuse
Worth talking about
How might it feel to care for a parent who no longer recognizes you? Talk about patience, grief and how families can support someone living with dementia.
On our lists
Similar picks around 14+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, movieguide.org, moviemom.com, 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.