Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a dark fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, based on the best-selling novel by Ransom Riggs. The narrative centers on Jacob Portman, a Florida teenager who, after a tragic family event, discovers clues to a mysterious orphanage on a remote Welsh island. This orphanage is a hidden haven for children with extraordinary abilities, known as peculiars, protected within a time loop by their guardian, Miss Peregrine. The film blends elements of fantasy, horror, and adventure as Jacob uncovers his own peculiarity and must help defend the children from terrifying invisible monsters called Hollowgasts and their human-like counterparts, the Wights. Geared towards a young adult audience, the movie delves into themes of individuality, acceptance, and the timeless battle between good and evil.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe movie contains frequent and graphic fantasy violence, including disturbing depictions of monsters consuming eyeballs, intense fight sequences, and character deaths. The MPAA rated the film PG-13 for 'intense sequences of fantasy action/violence and peril'.
Hollowgasts are shown sucking eyeballs from children's heads and eating them, with piles of eyeballs visibly depicted. Enoch O'Connor, a peculiar child, animates puppet monsters that violently slaughter one another, with an explicit scene of one toy slicing another through the heart. Jacob's grandfather, Abraham Portman, is violently killed at the beginning of the film, and Jacob witnesses his death. The film also features numerous fight scenes involving weapons like knives, cleavers, and bows and arrows, along with fantasy violence such as characters being turned to stone, ice, or set on fire.
Witchcraft & Occult
HighWitchcraft and occult themes are central to the film's fantasy premise, revolving around characters possessing supernatural powers. These 'peculiarities' include abilities such as time manipulation, reanimating the dead, controlling elements, and invisibility, which are integral to the plot and world-building.
Miss Peregrine, as an 'ymbryne,' possesses the ability to manipulate time and transform into a bird, which she uses to create and maintain time loops for the children's safety. Enoch O'Connor's peculiarity allows him to resurrect the dead and bring inanimate objects to life by placing hearts into them, including a disturbing scene where he makes a dead boy speak. Other peculiar children exhibit a range of supernatural abilities such as levitation (Emma), controlling fire (Olive), invisibility (Millard), and prophetic dreams (Horace).
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe movie contains significant scary and intense content, including disturbing creature designs, jump scares, and perilous situations. The MPAA rating of PG-13 explicitly notes 'frightening scenes' and 'peril.'
The Hollowgasts are depicted as terrifying, gaunt, invisible monsters with large, toothy mouths and tentacles, preying on children's eyeballs, which can be highly frightening. Jacob's grandfather's violent death at the beginning of the film, witnessed by Jacob, is an intense and disturbing scene. The film also features reanimated skeletons battling the Hollows in an amusement park, creating a chaotic and intense action sequence with frightening visuals. A 12-year-old reviewer found certain scenes quite scary.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumThe film includes teenage romance and mild flirtation, primarily between the main protagonists. There are instances of kissing and expressions of affection, but no explicit sexual content or nudity.
The central romantic storyline involves Jacob Portman and Emma Bloom, with scenes depicting mild flirtation and a kiss between the two teenagers. The kiss is described as a 'long kiss alone in a darker room,' but both characters remain fully clothed, and nothing beyond a kiss is implied. Additionally, there is a developing romantic interest between Enoch O'Connor and Olive Abroholos Elephanta, which becomes more evident towards the end of the film.
Profanity
MediumThe movie contains a moderate amount of coarse language, including several strong expletives and milder curse words. There is also a scene featuring a crude gesture.
A parental review indicates the presence of profanity, listing instances of 's***' (5 uses), 'g**d***' (2 uses), 's**of a b****' (2 uses), and 'a**' (more than 1 use). Milder curse words such as 'oh my g**' and 'h***' are also used during intense moments. One scene includes a character using a middle finger with both hands and flying them around in a crass manner.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe film features instances of mild disrespect and rebellion, particularly concerning adolescent characters and their interactions with authority or family expectations. It also touches on themes of perceived parental neglect and bullying.
Jacob initially displays a degree of skepticism and disinterest in his grandfather's stories, and appears somewhat bored with his ordinary life and parental expectations. The character Enoch O'Connor is noted for engaging in some bullying behavior towards younger peculiar children in the book series and is generally characterized by selfish behavior and negative thinking, making him less liked by others. Jacob's father, Franklin Portman, expresses feelings of abandonment by his own father (Jacob's grandfather) due to his frequent absences, indicating a familial strain.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowThe film 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' does not explicitly feature LGBTQ+ characters or themes within its cinematic content. While external discussions and fan communities for the book series have explored possibilities or critiqued the lack of diversity, these do not represent actual content present in the movie itself.
Searches for LGBTQ+ content specifically within the movie yielded no direct explicit or implied representation. Discussions found were either book-related, such as mentions of 'lgbt representation with Horace and Julius' in the book series where they are depicted holding hands, or critiques of the film's overall lack of diversity from the director, Tim Burton, or a blog post mentioning 'incessant heterosexism', indicating an absence rather than presence of such themes in the movie.
Substance Use
LowThe film features minimal substance use, primarily showing adults consuming alcohol in social settings without promoting or glamorizing heavy use.
Adult characters are depicted drinking in a pub setting. Specifically, Jacob's father, Franklin Portman, is seen drinking beer at a pub. There are also scenes showing characters consuming wine or champagne, and ladies having beer together in a bar scene towards the end of the movie.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowThe film does not contain explicit anti-Christian themes. Its focus is on a secular fantasy narrative involving peculiar abilities and magical elements, which are presented as inherent traits rather than invoking specific religious or anti-religious practices.
The 'peculiarities' are portrayed as innate supernatural powers of certain individuals, such as time manipulation, invisibility, or animating objects, rather than practices of witchcraft or occult rituals in a religious context. The story explores themes of difference, protection, and destiny within a fantastical framework, without overtly challenging or promoting any specific religious viewpoints. There are no scenes or dialogues that mock, insult, or explicitly criticize Christian beliefs or symbols.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
A strong parental guidance is recommended for children under 13, with the film being suitable for ages 13 and up. The movie carries a PG-13 rating primarily due to its intense sequences of fantasy action/violence and peril, along with frightening and disturbing imagery that may be too unsettling for younger viewers.
Additional Notes
The visual style of Tim Burton, characterized by dark, quirky, and surreal aesthetics, significantly contributes to the overall tone of the film, which may amplify the intensity of scary and disturbing scenes for some viewers. Parents should be aware of the consistent presence of grotesque imagery and fantastical violence.
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