Wonder: parents' guide
Best for ages 8 and up. Rated PG for thematic elements including bullying, and some mild language.
A warm, tear-jerking family drama with a strong message about kindness. Auggie, a 10-year-old born with a facial difference, starts fifth grade after years of homeschooling and faces stares, cruel nicknames and one classmate's steady bullying. The story also follows his older sister and her friends, which brings in a parent's divorce, a mother who drinks heavily and a teen who finishes her mom's glass of wine. Expect a schoolyard fistfight, a scuffle with older kids, and the death of the family's elderly dog, which hits hard. Language stays at playground insults. Age 8 fits the bullying and the sad moments.
What's in it
Violence
ModerateTwo brief realistic fights: one boy punches another at school, and at a nature retreat older kids shove Auggie and his friends, one of whom hits his head on a rock. Classmates also pelt Auggie in dodgeball. No serious injuries.
Language
MildNo real swearing. Expect 'crappiest,' 'sucks,' 'shut up' and a few 'oh my God' exclamations, butt jokes about the principal's name, and insults like 'freak,' 'Darth Hideous' and 'Gollum.' A boy says he'd kill himself if he looked like Auggie.
Sex and nudity
MildA teen couple kisses and Auggie's parents are affectionate. There is a hint that one spouse once gave the other a racy gift, plus a bit of light innuendo. No nudity.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModerateAuggie's parents drink wine and his mom jokes about getting drunk. Separately, a depressed, newly divorced mother drinks heavily and passes out, and her teenage daughter finishes one of her glasses. Brief, but worth knowing.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateThe family's old dog falls ill and dies, offscreen, and everyone grieves openly. Auggie overhearing a friend mock him is painful, and his sister misses her late grandmother. Nothing scary, but expect tears.
Sensitive topics
- Bullying
- Animal death
Worth talking about
The film shows several characters' sides of the story, including a friend who betrays Auggie and then regrets it. Ask why kids go along with cruelty and what it takes to be the one who doesn't.
On our lists
Similar picks around 8+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, movieguide.org, moviemom.com, the-numbers.com, childrenandmedia.org.au. 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.