If you’re thinking of taking your kids to see The Flash movie, and looking for a spoiler-free parent review, don’t worry, I’ve got you. And details to help you decide if The Flash movie is scary for kids you might want to bring. 

I’ll admit that I’m a bit behind on the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) movies and they aren’t usually on my priority lists of films to watch. Mostly because so far they’re a bit more mature than the Marvel superhero movies and my kids aren’t quite at the age where I find them to be very age appropriate. However, for the last year and a half my son and I have been making our way through “The Flash” series on Netflix and six seasons in, so we figured we should check out this new movie. Of course the Barry Allen in this version is played by Ezra Miller, (who I’ve heard is pretty problematic, but we aren’t going into this today), versus the Grant Gustin we’re used to (and whom we really love!).

Sadly, among all of the cameos in the movie Gustin isn’t one of them. But we still enjoyed seeing this version of the scarlet speedster on the big screen and were able to follow along pretty well even though we’re behind on other DCEU movies. We have seen Superman: Man of Steel though, which I think is a good one to watch before this one.

That said, there were quite a few moments where I went “whoops!” for commentary and content that was a bit mature for my 10-year-old. I’ve got you covered without any spoilers on those things. 

What Parents Need to Know About The Flash Movie: It’s Pretty Intense

Parents need to know that The Flash movie is the latest in the DCEU superhero movie series about a speedster (getting his first standalone film) who uses his powers to run back in time and in the process sets things haywire. The movie includes a fair amount of swearing including but not limited to “sh*t” multiple times, “d*ck” and an f-bomb. The movie also includes a lot of violence and danger such as babies, people, and animals falling out of buildings, explosions, bloody stabbings, and a pretty graphic electrocution. There is also a (non-sexual) scene with nudity. A character covers their frontal genitals with their hands/nearby dishes.  Fans of “The Flash” television series will find this movie much more graphic than the CW version. And Marvel fans might find The Flash movie a little scarier, darker, and more graphic than similar Marvel films. There are also a few sexual innuendos and a line about “never experiencing sex” and mentioning “a big scrotum.” 

The Flash Movie Parent Review: Darker Than the TV Series

As a casual DC fan (much more casual than Marvel) I thought The Flash movie was enjoyable enough. I appreciated a nice throwback to my Batman, seeing Michael Keaton, and the cameos from other DC movies were so recognizable even I spotted them. We are big fans of Shazam and this movie feels more mature than those movies. Perhaps as it should since it’s based around an older character. As a parent this version of Barry Allen doesn’t feel as heroic and noble as the one we’ve come accustomed to in the television series. He often comes across childish, immature and sometimes just plain rude. Though this version of Barry, like the other, is supposed to be a genius (or close to it), it doesn’t seem to come across in this story. Add to that the crude remarks thrown in for “comedic relief” but really just seemed to fall flat. Plus the fact that the whole speedforce/ flashpoint story is quite familiar and predictable at this point (especially if you’re fans of the series), the movie is not fantastic, just fine.

I’m giving it 3 stars in our family movie log. The cameos, however, are what make it all worth it to me, and made for a fun watch. My son enjoyed it for different reasons which we’ll get to in a moment. 

Is The Flash Movie Scary for Kids?

If you have a little one who is a fan of the scarlet speedster and jumped to this part you might be wondering if The Flash movie is dark or intense for kids. I’d say if your young one is used to the television series or comic books, even Marvel films, this movie is definitely a notch up from all of that. I’d guess another S-word or bloody stab and it woulda gotten an ‘R’ rating from the MPPA. The Flash is rate PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some strong language and partial nudity. There is also peril, some deaths and as I mentioned earlier, graphic violence and sexual content (in conversation).  Teens and mature tweens should be ok, but any younger than that I’d consider having them sit this one out and going to see it for a date night or with friends. Then you can fast forward through the iffy parts or use VidAngel to skip them. The innuendos went over my son’s head otherwise I woulda felt a little more “whoops!” about taken him.

But enough of what I thought, here’s what my 10-year-old son has to say about The Flash. 

What My 10-year-old Son Thought of The Flash Movie

What did you think of The Flash movie?

Ty: I think it’s good. Because I like how he meets himself and he’s with himself a long time. 

What was the funniest part to you? 

Ty: Whenever he realizes there’s another him and he jumps on him. And when he lost his super speed and he wasn’t fast but he was trying to run fast. 

Would you recommend it to your friends? 

Ty: Yea, probably. 

What lesson did you learn? What message was the movie trying to get across?

Ty: If you wish you could go back in time, just wish you couldn’t cause you’d mess everything up. 

Who was your favorite character?

Ty: The Flash, the older one .

Who would you recommend this movie to? 

Ty: My mom. People who like The Flash TV show. 

Do you think it’s for older kids? 

Ty: Mature 9 and 10 year olds and older. 

Did you think it was scary?

Ty: No. You think that was scary?

Would you want to watch it again? 

Ty: Yea. 

How would you rank it compared to other movies we’ve seen recently? 

Ty: I think I like this more than The Little Mermaid by a lot, more than Ant Man and the Quantum Realm. And more than Elemental. It’s a close one with Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse. I think I like Shazam 2 more. 

What was your favorite part? 

Ty: I like when he was saving the dog and babies. 

How many stars would you give it In Our Movie Night Journal?

Ty: Out of 1 to 5 I’d give it a 3 and a half stars. 

Is it worth going to the movies to see/?

Ty: Yes! 

Anything else you’d like to say that I didn’t ask you?

Ty: People should watch it! 

Want to dress for the occasion? Here is some Flash movie merch we handpicked and affiliate linked.

‘The Flash’ Speeds into Theaters June 16th

Wondering how our review of The Flash movie might compare to yours? Check out some of our other movie reviews.

• ‘TRANSFORMERS RISE OF THE BEAST’ REVIEW
• LIVE ACTION ‘THE LITTLE MERMAID’ REVIEW
• ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3’ REVIEW
• ‘SHAZAM 2’ REVIEW
• ‘CREED III’ REVIEW
• ‘BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER’ REVIEW
• ‘STRANGE WORLD’ REVIEW
• ‘THOR LOVE AND THUNDER’ REVIEW
• ‘JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION’ REVIEW
• ‘DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS’ REVIEW
• ‘SONIC 2’ MOVIE REVIEW
• ‘TURNING RED’ MOVIE REVIEW
• ‘SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME’ REVIEW

If you like watching movies together as a family you’ll love our Family Movie Night Journal! Created by me and my oldest daughter Jayda. It’s bringing a family tradition of movie watching and rating to families around the world.

What did you think of The Flash movie? Leave a comment and let us know!

Tags: DC movie, kid movie reveiws, movie review, movie reviews