Parents' Guide to

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Spidey sequel is an action-packed delight; peril, violence.

Movie PG 2023 140 minutes
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Movie Poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you willā€”and won'tā€”find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 9+

Based on 35 parent reviews

age 7+

This is a solid movie for any people. You don't necessarily need to be a spiderman fan.

age 7+

FANTASTIC movie, but could be overstimulating for younger kids

This movie was incredible. It has a very in-depth story with many layers and depth. My sons (7 and 4) are huge Spiderman fans and have been excited about this movie for months. My 7 yr old wasn't able to fully follow every part of the story, but he loved it! My 4 yr old has seen "Into the Spiderverse" over and over, so he was thrilled to see the familiar and new characters. The movie is extremely flashy and could be overstimulating and frightening for many kids. I think because my boys were familiar with the style from the first movie, they were able to handle it fine. There are many fight scenes, as you might expect. The villain starts off tame, although his anger and vengeance progresses. The villain actually brings some comedic relief that my kids loved, and that made him less scary. I read that there could be a relationship development between Miles and Gwen, but it was very mild, and at most, tension between the two. There is some language in this movie: "kick his a**", shut up, what the h*ll, shoot, stupid. My husband, two boys, and I all left the movie excited! It really is a fantastic movie that may be one of my top 5 favorites.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (35 ):
Kids say (90 ):

This imaginative, intense sequel impresses with its layered, touching storyline that highlights the difficulties of being a lonely Spider-Person without anyone who knows the truth. Like the first film, this installment will be a joy to watch and rewatch, with repeat viewings practically required so viewers can (try to) capture all of the movie's various Easter eggs, in-jokes, and references to bits and pieces of Spider-Man lore. While the ambitious nemesis, Spot, isn't as initially frightening as other supervillains (he's funnily bumbling at first), his single-minded focus on destroying Miles and everything he loves is downright eerie. Then there's Miguel, a Spider-Man leader who's a compelling stand-in for everyone who demands canonical conformity in their fandoms. He seems like a good guy, but his rigid adherence to "the canon" transforms his protectiveness into an insidious gate-keeping that threatens Peter just as much as the Spot does.

Steinfeld stands out as Gwen, who has an even bigger role here than in the first movie. She and Miles share a deep connection, but, due to the circumstances, it's not yet defined as romantic, considering how the Gwens in most multiverses fall for their Peter Parkers with disastrous consequences. The effects here are stellar, combining live-action characters, video footage, and more with different forms of animation. Some of fans' favorite Spider-People from the first movie aren't in this film, but the new ones are fascinating, particularly Jess Drew (Issa Rae), who's somewhat of a mentor to Gwen, and Hobie Brown, aka Spider-Punk, a Black, Cockney-accented anarchist voiced brilliantly by Daniel Kaluuya. He's got a Basquiat-meets-Jimi Hendrix vibe and is so cool that Miles is part in awe, part jealous. The movie's ending is sure to spark debate, but directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson have given writer-producer Phil Lord's vision enough Spidey Sense to lock in audiences for another must-see movie.

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate