The Vast of Night: parents' guide
Best for ages 13 and up. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.
An atmospheric, slow-burn 1950s sci-fi mystery for young teens who prefer suspense to action. Two small-town teens, a switchboard operator and a radio DJ, chase a strange sound on the airwaves one night and hear eerie stories about disappearances and something in the sky. Nothing violent is shown and romance is only hinted at. Parents should know about one f-word and nearly nonstop cigarette smoking by the teen leads. The creepy mood is more unsettling than frightening, and the f-word puts it at about 13.
What's in it
Violence
NoneNo violence is shown. Characters describe a missing boy, a man's accidental death and an electrocuted squirrel, and scorch marks hint at something strange.
Language
ModerateOne f-word, plus a few uses of 'damn,' 'hell' and 'ass,' and God's name misused three times. A teen also makes a racist remark about an opposing team, which another character pushes back on.
Sex and nudity
MildNo sexual content is shown. A woman says she had a child out of wedlock without understanding how babies were made, and a teen sneaks off with her boyfriend.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModerateThe teen leads smoke cigarettes often, with Everett close to a chain-smoker. No drinking or drug use.
Scary or intense scenes
MildEerie rather than scary: unsettling radio calls, stories of people vanishing, a few near-misses in a speeding car and a brief glimpse of a strange craft. No jump scares or gore.
Worth talking about
Billy and Mabel suspect nobody believed them because of who they are. Why are some people's stories taken less seriously, and how can we listen better?
On our lists
Similar picks around 13+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, 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.