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Original poster

What age is appropriate for watching Harry Potter films?

71 replies

DontLeaveMeThisWaay · 01/01/2020 21:06

DD1 is 6 and has recently discovered Harry Potter through her friends talking about it at school.

I have sat with her and watched the first 3 films which she has been okay with. She is desperate to watch the next one. I know they get progressively more scary and dark and if I’m right, the last 4 are rated as 12.

I’m just looking for some advice on if you think I should allow her to watch any more or if I should wait now until she is a little older.

Thanks for your help ☺️

OP posts:
MarciaDidia · 01/01/2020 23:28

My 9yo saw a bit of Chamber of Secrets when he was about 6 or 7 and has flatly refused to watch or read any of the others. He doesn't process peril or threat well. He'll do it when he's ready. Maybe not until he's an adult. Each to their own and at their own pace.

CountFosco · 01/01/2020 23:32

Our older kids had to read the book before they got to watch the 12 rated films. They were probably 8 or 9 watching them? My 7 year old hasn't watched any of the 12 rated films though, he is too young and not interested in the books yet.

Zofloramummy · 01/01/2020 23:32

Dd (8) has seen them up to the goblet of fire and that’s scary enough. The other films are too dark and too scary. I’ll wait u TIL she’s a bit older.

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RowenaMud · 01/01/2020 23:39

I can’t remember what age Harry was when the series started but generally if the main character is the same age as the (young) reader, it should be ok.

They would go completely over the head of my six year old and personally she is far too immature and lacking in patience for any of the books let alone films. I read and enjoyed them in my late twenties.

Emmapeeler1 · 01/01/2020 23:45

They would be wasted on my six year old who is obsessed with Captain Underpants.

My almost 10 year old read them all, then watched the films, this year as have quite a few kids of her age.

RowenaMud · 01/01/2020 23:46

Ah scrap that ^^ I just read that Harry was eleven in the first film. I thought he was about seven or eight.

VickyLouT · 01/01/2020 23:46

My 6 year old has seen all the films and I have read first four books with him. He has the beautiful illustrated versions of the books. But he has been into fantasy and complex stories for a long time and knows films are not real and is more scared of real threats not fantasy ones. Also the teen angst goes over his head completely. You will know better than anyone else what your child can handle. My friend's 9 year old can't cope with the first film, so it all depends on what they are used to and what they might fear. He devoured hobbit and lord of the rings after and now thinks HP is babyish, which is rather disappointing. He loves stories and just wants to know what happens next. I'm sure plenty of peeps will be horrified but I know my child, so I would do what you feel is ok. Ps film 4 is a cracking one in the series.

nocutsnobuttsnococonuts · 01/01/2020 23:52

I'm a huge Harry potter fan, I read the books as they were released and couldn't wait to share them with my dds.

At 6 they were allowed to watch 1-3 but if they got scared or didn't like bits I turned it off. dd2 really likes dragons so we let them watch the 4th one but only up until they went into the maze (that's when it gets much darker) it was about 18 months later at 7.5 she saw the last 45 mins of the film!! dd1 was 10 before she watched the rest of them. unfortunately she's only seen them once as dd2 isn't allowed to watch them yet.

FeigningHorror · 02/01/2020 00:50

My seven year old has read/had them read to him and seen all the films, but he’s a level-headed and not easily alarmed type. If anything, he gets rather bored with the endless angstily hanging around in tents in the last film or two.

f00k · 02/01/2020 01:19

There was a similar thread once and I was called a bad parent for letting my 7yr old watch them. (He's now 9)

It depends on your child. DS is not easily scared, he's a very logical thinker, he likes weird and creepy things. We're currently almost finished with the 5th book and he loves them. I would say though that I think a lot of the later storylines may go over a 6yr old's head so they might be worth saving for that alone. Wait until they can really understand what's going on. The books are so much better btw!

PanicAndRun · 02/01/2020 01:45

DD watched all the movies at 7. Won't read the books as she doesn't like reading...oh well her loss.
She got a bit scared in parts but was reassured that there are more movies to come and I told her everything will be fine. Devastated when Dobby died though.

"Not my daughter,bitch!" Is one of out favourite lines... not to be repeated outside of this house of course.

We're having another marathon this week of one movie a day. Goblet of Fire is tomorrow.

Quirrelsotherface · 02/01/2020 08:01

I'd be interested to know how much of the very intricate and detailed plot the year 2's that have apparently read the whole series have taken in Grin

Dinoctoblock · 02/01/2020 08:25

We read each book before watching the film (the books are better than the films!). I read the first two books to DD7 and DS6 and they were quite scared at the end of the second one, so I’m going to wait a year or so before reading or watching the third one. As I remember, the only get darker and although they’d like to watch/read more, I’d like them to enjoy the books and not be terrified.

Canadianpancake · 02/01/2020 08:30

My DS listened to the audio books from about age 5 and watched the film's from about age 7. The audio books are wonderful, read by Stephen Fry. We used to curl up in bed together and listen at bedtime.

RhymingRabbit3 · 02/01/2020 08:32

I don't think a 6year old would understand the later films - surely they wouldnt have a clue what is going on? It seems like a waste to watch the films at such a young age when they dont really follow it, and then spoil the books. Wait until she is older and read the books, then watch the films if you must.

LadyCordeliaVorkosigan · 02/01/2020 08:33

Ds read them age 8-9, finished book 7, started again. He's seen the first four films and gone to the studios twice, but doesn't want to see the rest of the films or Fantastic Beasts as it would be too scary. He is terrified by cinema and most films.

DD saw the first two films age 5, then the next two age 6, but didn't really understand them. Films 5 and 6 she watched age 7 but thought were boring with all the kissing and angst, and after 20 minutes of film 7 she turned it off as it was all dreary. She's read a couple chapters of the first book (just turned 8).

Waxonwaxoff0 · 02/01/2020 08:34

My 6yo has seen all the films. The books are a bit too advanced for his reading level at the moment though.

I am fairly relaxed about films to be honest though, DS is quite a tough cookie (as am I, think I was 11 or 12 when I first watched an 18 rated horror film). He didn't find them scary.

pourmeanotherglass · 02/01/2020 08:35

I read the books to dd. I read the first ones when she was about 6 or 7, then paused for a year or so and read other stuff before reading the 4th. We didn't watch any of the films before reading the book. Watched the last 2 films at the cinema with her when she wasn't quite 12.

madeyemoodysmum · 02/01/2020 08:39

Number four is my fave but a character dies in a really sad way His fathers reaction is so visceral it's a very hard watch.
It's not just the scares from 4 onwards. It's the emotional side too. But we all love potter in my house. Mine watch them all by 8/9 years old.

TeenPlusTwenties · 02/01/2020 08:43

We said read the books first, because

  • you get the joy of seeing the books come to life
  • the books explain stuff glossed over in the films
  • it encouraged independent reading in the DDs.
DDs were in y6.

I don't like the rush to read/watch things young. There are so many age appropriate films for 6,7,8 yos. Why rush for them to watch 12 rated ones as the HP later films are.

CountFosco · 02/01/2020 08:45

Some of HP is really dark, and parents murdered and child being abandoned with cruel people isn’t easy to explain?

Better not read James and the Giant Peach then.

Was just thinking, much as I enjoyed reading HP myself when the books came out reading them out loud was no pleasure and DS (poor neglected third child) will probably have to read them to himself because neither DH nor I can face that year long marathon again. Narnia and His Dark Materials are much better written books that are more fun to read allowed, although the first ends with a train crash killing all the main characters (but it's OK, they all go to heaven Aslan's country except vain and silly Susan who keeps on living in our boring world) and the second

StudentMummy92 · 02/01/2020 08:47

From Goblet of Fire it does start to get quite dark but it depends on how sensitive your daughter is. I think 4 and 5 were rated 12A, my brother was about 9 and we watched it in the pictures. The 6th was PG. Then the last 2 were 12A again.

StudentMummy92 · 02/01/2020 08:47

Scratch that 6 was a 12A too!

Lucked · 02/01/2020 08:52

My 7 year old has had the first two read to him and watched those films. The Basalisk was the upper limit of what he could cope with so we are having a break although he is a sensitive child who gets nightmares easily.

lavalamp08 · 02/01/2020 08:55

My 6 year old has seen (and loves) them all, but saying that he's seen all the Marvel films too 🤣