Is ‘Cruella’ for Kids? Why the 2021 Movie Is PG-13

Emma Stone is showing a whole new side of a classic Disney villain with Cruella, the high fashion, dark and dramatic live-action take on Cruella de Vil premiering this weekend. Stone’s Cruella starts off life as an orphaned girl named Estrella who finds a way into the competitive world of fashion by creating her own alter-ego named — you guessed it — Cruella.

The new movie comes after multiple 101 Dalmatians films, including the original 1961 animated version, the 1996 Glenn Close hit, and its sequel, 102 Dalmatians. But Cruella stands apart from its predecessors, and not just for telling the origin story of a notorious villain. Unlike the previous films in the 101 Dalmatians franchise, Cruella is rated PG-13, leaving some viewers wondering if its the right fit for a family movie night.

Is Cruella for kids? Here’s what you need to know about the new 101 Dalmatians prequel.

WHY IS CRUELLA PG-13?

This isn’t your cartoon Cruella — according to film star Emma Stone herself, the new movie isn’t afraid to get a little dark. “It’s geared more towards teenagers and adults. I think kids will find it interesting, perhaps, but it’s more naturally designed for teenagers and older,” Stone told the New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan.

And according to the Cruella IMDb page, the film earned its PG-13 rating for “some violence and thematic elements.” Viewers can expect to see some violence and gore, but if you go in expecting slasher film levels of blood, you’ll be disappointed. If you want to err on the side of caution, there’s always the 1996 live action 101 Dalmatians, which stars Glenn Close as Cruella and earned a very family-friendly G rating.

WHO STARS IN THE CRUELLA MOVIE?

Cruella stars Emma Stone as Cruella de Vil, Emma Thompson as Baroness von Hellman, Joel Fry as Jasper Badun, Paul Walter Hauser as Horace Badun, Emily Beecham as Catherine, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Anita “Tattletale” Darling, Mark Strong as John, Jon McCrea as Artie, Kayvan Novak as Roger, and Jamie Demetriou as Gerald.

IS THERE A CRUELLA TRAILER?

Yes! If you want a taste of what’s to come before you fully commit to Cruella, you can check out the trailer for the new Disney movie. Just scroll to the top of this article and watch the video above.

WHERE TO WATCH CRUELLA:

The wait for Cruella is almost over. The highly anticipated movie drops in theaters and on Disney+ tomorrow, May 28. To watch at home, you’ll need to pay a little extra. Disney is releasing Cruella with Premier Access, meaning Disney+ subscribers have to pay a one-time fee of $30 to watch the movie. After that, you can stream Cruella as many times as you’d like.

Where to watch Cruella