The Spiderwick Chronicles
The Spiderwick Chronicles is a 2008 American fantasy film based on the popular book series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Directed by Mark Waters, the movie follows the Grace children—twins Jared and Simon, and their older sister Mallory—as they move into a dilapidated ancestral estate after their parents' separation. There, they discover a hidden world of magical creatures, documented in a field guide by their great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick. The film blends themes of family dysfunction and growth with thrilling encounters with fantastical beings, both benign and malevolent. It is primarily aimed at a pre-teen and early-teen audience due to its intense creature violence and scary sequences, which often push the boundaries of its PG rating.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe film features frequent and intense fantasy violence involving magical creatures and the human protagonists, which many reviewers consider severe for a PG rating. This includes physical attacks, creature-on-human violence, and some implied gore.
Goblins repeatedly attack the Grace children, grabbing them, hitting, scratching, and biting, with a goblin bite on Simon's leg bleeding for a long time. Mallory stabs a goblin in the eye with her fencing foil, resulting in a 'blood soaked blade'. Jared stabs Mulgarath, who is disguised as his father, with a kitchen knife, and the creature subsequently transforms into its monstrous form. Goblins and a troll are run over by trucks on two different occasions. Creatures, when injured by salt, tomato juice, or oatmeal, are shown dissolving into 'blobs of green goo' or 'little puddles of green goo,' with brief flashes of 'mutilated digital flesh'.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe movie features numerous scary and intense scenes, with many reviewers suggesting it pushes the boundaries of its PG rating and could be frightening for younger children due to the appearance and actions of the fantastical creatures and moments of peril.
Roger Ebert critically notes, 'the PG classification is insane,' calling it 'a PG-13 movie, for sure' because it is 'truly scary and doesn't wimp out' and 'will cause nightmares for younger kids'. Scenes include invisible goblins dragging Simon around and preparing to cook him. The ogre Mulgarath is a 'fearsome green ogre who can shape-change into human, bird, snake and reptile forms' and appears as an 'evil looking old man' before transforming into his monstrous form. A brownie named Thimbletack transforms into a 'bogger' when angry, becoming 'green, ugly and aggressive'. Mallory and Jared are chased through a tunnel by a 'very evil looking troll'.
Profanity
MediumThe movie contains mild profanity and several misuses of God's name, primarily by the child characters.
God's name is misused approximately 'a half-dozen times, primarily by the Grace children'. Mild profanities and terms of Deity are used as expletives. Examples include Jared asking 'what the h*ll?' and 'a handful of "Oh my G-d's"'. There is also an 'incomplete "Oh sh--" from the head goblin'.
Witchcraft & Occult
MediumThe central premise revolves around a fantastical world of magical creatures and a 'field guide' describing them, which some Christian reviews identify as occult themes. However, other reviews emphasize the fantasy aspect without direct links to real-world occult practices.
The story involves the discovery of 'Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You,' which details various magical creatures like fairies, goblins, sylphs, sprites, and boggarts. Christian Spotlight on the Movies states, 'There is an occult themes spread throughout the movie which is obviously not good for any age'. However, another Christian review from Jesusfreakhideout.com notes, 'I also appreciated the fact that the story had a magical feel without having to involve witchcraft or sorcery. It was just a creative little made-up world with its own unique story'. The main antagonist, Mulgarath, is described by a screenwriter as having started 'with a Lucifer/fallen angel kind of myth'.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe protagonist, Jared, displays significant disrespect and rebellious behavior towards his mother and siblings, though some instances are later addressed with apologies or regret.
Jared is portrayed as 'angry about everything,' 'lashing out in argumentative temper tantrums,' and protesting his mother's decisions. In a heated argument, Jared tells his mom that he hates her, though he later deeply regrets his words and apologizes. He also expresses his anger by 'whaling away at the back bumper of the family SUV' with a stick. Jared and his twin brother Simon 'tussle, slap and roll around on the ground during an argument,' while Mallory occasionally hits Jared's shoulder and jabs at him with her fencing foil during their bickering.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowNo explicit or implied LGBTQ+ content or themes related to gender identity were found in 'The Spiderwick Chronicles' 2008 film. Parental reviews and content analyses for the movie consistently report an absence of such material.
Parental review sites, such as Christian Spotlight on the Movies, explicitly state, 'NO SEXUAL REFERENCES WHAT SO EVER!!'. Children and Media Australia's review similarly reports 'Sexual references. None of concern.' for the movie. While a recent TV series adaptation has discussed appealing to queer audiences and includes implied same-sex romantic content, this is distinct from the 2008 film.
Romance and Sexual Content
LowExplicit sexual content is absent. However, there is a thematic element of implied infidelity related to the Grace parents' divorce, which could be considered a mature theme for younger viewers.
The film mentions that part of the reason for the Grace parents' divorce is that the father 'is with someone else—he's moved in with her,' implying adultery. Christian Spotlight on the Movies notes, 'The themes of adultery are VERY subtle and nothing a kid under 11 would notice'. Multiple sources confirm no explicit sexual references or activity.
Substance Use
LowThe film contains no significant depictions or mentions of substance use.
Plugged In explicitly states 'Drug & Alcohol Content. None.'. Children and Media Australia also reports 'Use of substances. None of concern.'. Parent Previews gave it an 'A-' for Substance Use, indicating minimal or absent content.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowWhile the film's fantasy elements and portrayal of magical creatures might be a concern for some Christian parents, direct anti-Christian themes or mockery of Christian beliefs are not explicitly present. The main antagonist's origins are rooted in a 'Lucifer/fallen angel' myth.
Screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick noted that the villain, Mulgarath, was 'started with a Lucifer/fallen angel kind of myth'. One Christian review states that it had 'a magical feel without having to involve witchcraft or sorcery' and was 'just a creative little made-up world'. However, another Christian review identifies 'occult themes spread throughout the movie,' which some parents might interpret as implicitly anti-Christian. The film's narrative primarily focuses on a secular fantasy world rather than engaging with or explicitly opposing Christian doctrine.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Ages 10 and up. While rated PG, the film contains significant scary creature action, intense violence, and peril that may be too frightening for younger or more sensitive children. Older elementary to middle school-aged children are better equipped to handle the themes of family separation and the pervasive threat from malevolent magical creatures.
Additional Notes
The film deals with mature themes like divorce and family separation with sensitivity, exploring the children's emotional responses and highlighting themes of relationship growth, regret, and apology. The resolution emphasizes family unity and the importance of supporting one another through difficulties.
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