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Movie · Sci-fi, Drama · 2015 · PG-13

The Martian: parents' guide

13+our pick

Best for ages 13 and up. Rated PG-13 for some strong language, injury images, and brief nudity.

A smart, funny survival story that works well for young teens who love space and science. Astronaut Mark Watney is stranded on Mars and has to engineer his way to staying alive while NASA plans a rescue. Expect one or two f-words and about ten s-words, a bloody scene in which he pulls debris from his abdomen and staples the wound shut, and a brief non-sexual rear view of him naked and gaunt. The life-or-death peril is tense but hopeful throughout. The f-words, the injury scene and the brief nudity are why we suggest 13.

What's in it

Violence

Moderate

Debris pierces Watney's abdomen, and he removes it, digs out a fragment and staples himself shut, with blood shown. An explosion throws him across a room, and he develops sores from poor nutrition.

Language

Moderate

One guide counted two f-words and ten s-words, plus ass, hell, damn and misuses of God's and Jesus' names. Other f-words are referred to or cut off.

Sex and nudity

Mild

A brief, non-sexual shot of Watney naked from behind shows how much weight he has lost. There is one kiss and a couple of jokes about strange emails.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Mild

No drinking or smoking. Watney uses a numbing injection for his wound and jokingly crushes a Vicodin pill onto a potato because he has run out of ketchup.

Scary or intense scenes

Moderate

Sustained peril: a storm strands Watney, his shelter blows out, equipment fails and the rescue is nail-biting. Talk of death and starvation runs throughout, though humor eases the strain.

Worth talking about

Watney survives by solving one problem at a time instead of panicking, and rival space agencies team up to save him. Ask your kids how either idea might help with a big challenge.

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, the MPA, movieguide.org. 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.