Parents' Guide to

The Creator

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Smart AI sci-fi thriller has intense war violence, language.

Movie PG-13 2023 135 minutes
The Creator Movie Poster: A man and a child stand in the foreground, a spaceship of some kind above them

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Joshua looking behind him
    1:03
  • The Creator Movie: John David Washington looks out and away from a bridge, wearing a skeptical expression
  • The Creator Movie: A child looks at a piece of machinery

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 11 parent reviews

J L.
J L. Adult
October 9, 2023
age 13+

Contains some disturbing war-like violence

There were some disturbing war-like scenes that were too much for a preteen. A soldier holds a gun up to the head of a small dog and threatens to kill it while a young child shrieks in terror. Soldiers terrorizing villagers and small children. Robots dressed as monks are executed point-blank. Soldiers decapitate a human-like AI, shoot a human-like AI in the face after tricking her, and refer to cutting off the face of another. We had thought the movie would be Star Wars-level violence, but this felt more close-up, more like the horrors of war, many of the more traumatic moments reminiscent of the Vietnam War. Other aspects of the movie were good (and our teen enjoyed it), but wish we’d had better info about the more disturbing scenes before we brought a preteen to see it too.
Steven C.
Steven C. Adult
September 30, 2023
age 10+

World changing!

My 10 year old and myself believe this was the best movie we ever saw. Amazing cinematography and sound. It has depth beyond imagination. We spent over an hour after the show to just talk about it. We'll be talking about it again tomorrow. It brought tears to our eyes but with hope for acceptance of all and the love of family as we all are around this globe.
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE CREATOR begins in 2065, in the middle of a war between the Western world -- where AIs have been eliminated after they were blamed for launching a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles -- and New Asia, countries where AIs and humans coexist. AIs consider a human AI developer their god, or "Nimrata." During a brutal raid on the house of Maya (Gemma Chan), the mysterious Creator's daughter, it's discovered that her husband, Joshua (John David Washington), is an undercover agent for the United States, and Maya and her cohorts are killed. Five years later, the military recruits a still-grieving Joshua to join them on a mission to infiltrate the Creator's lab and destroy an even more advanced secret weapon that has the power to demolish the Army's one-of-a-kind anti-AI warcraft. The Army insists that Maya is still alive and at the lab, so Joshua agrees. But during the bloody mission, it's clear that the AI's new weapon is an AI child, Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles), whom Joshua immediately feels compelled to protect -- as long as she can lead him to Maya.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11 ):
Kids say (15 ):

Director/co-writer Gareth Edwards' moving, intense, genre-bending film is part futuristic thriller, part intergenerational buddy flick, and part relationship drama. The world-building in The Creator includes many unanswered questions, but the film's strong leading performances, dazzling visuals, and touching central story arc make it both thought-provoking and heartbreaking. Washington is a compelling performer who tenderly conveys Joshua's inexhaustible grief and post-traumatic depression, as well as his cautious, fatherly feelings toward the AI he names Alphie. And Voyles is instantly adorable as Alphie, with her expressive eyes, her precocious curiosity, and an emotional resonance that renders her much more than the weapon of mass destruction the Western military supposes her to be. Alphie and Joshua share a connection that starts off transactional and ends up transformative.

In the supporting cast, there are memorable performances from Allison Janney as an American military commander, Ken Watanabe as Maya's AI friend/guard, and singer-turned-actor Sturgill Simpson as a former agent and Joshua's one friend. And in its technical aspects, the movie is excellently executed. Greig Fraser and Oren Soffer's cinematography is gorgeous, with epic shots of landscapes both lush (especially in the parts set in Southeast Asia) and industrial. Hans Zimmer's score is memorable and emotive. The anti-imperialist themes are thought-provoking, if a bit heavy-handed, but Edwards balances the anti-AI zealotry with explanations of AI violence toward humans. Like Edwards' Rogue One, The Creator doesn't boast a happily ever after, but it does end on a hopeful note that will likely inspire conversations about humanity and the ethical considerations of artificial intelligence.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the ethical considerations of AI and human coexistence. Do you agree with The Creator's American point of view or the New Asian perspective?

  • Do you consider anyone in the movie a role model? What character strengths do they exhibit?

  • How did the movie's violence affect you? How does it compare to the impact of more personal/realistic violence?

  • Did you notice the anti-imperialist themes in The Creator? How is that applicable to international diplomacy? When should or shouldn't forces invade or step in to another nation's affairs?

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