Kubo and the Two Strings
Kubo and the Two Strings
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Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
3/5
Notable
Fear
3/5
Notable tension
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
2/5
Moderate
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
This stop motion animated film is a richly crafted fantasy adventure set in old Japan, with beautiful visuals but a mood that is often dark, sad, and tense. The main sensitive elements involve repeated threats toward a child, magical and sword based combat, eerie creatures, and several losses and sacrifices that give the story real emotional weight. The intensity is stylized rather than graphic, yet fear is present throughout, with unsettling villains, night attacks, disturbing visions, and believable life or death danger for major characters. There is essentially no sexual content, almost no strong language, and no substance use, so the film still fits within family viewing despite its darker tone. For parents, the key concern is less graphic violence than the combination of grief, family separation, and fantasy imagery that may strongly affect children who are easily frightened. Watching with support is a good idea for younger viewers, especially if they are sensitive to loss, threatening faces, or stories where the hero must endure several frightening trials before hope returns.
Synopsis
Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.
Difficult scenes
Early in the story, Kubo is chased and attacked at night by his supernatural aunts, who want to take his remaining eye. The sequence mixes darkness, destruction, aggressive magic, and a strong sense of helplessness, which can be intense for young children as one of the film's first major danger scenes. One memorable sequence involves retrieving a weapon from a cave guarded by a giant animated skeleton. The creature is visually striking and threatening, the confrontation lasts a while, and even without gore, the scale of the monster and the feeling of being trapped can be scary. Later, Kubo and his companions enter a disturbing water setting and encounter a creature associated with many eyes that lures and endangers its victims. The mood becomes eerie and oppressive, with a strong sense of losing control that may unsettle children who are sensitive to monsters or invasive visual imagery. The story also includes several revelations tied to death, sacrifice, and the loss of important parental figures. These scenes are handled with emotion and seriousness rather than graphic detail, but they can still leave children sad and prompt questions about grief and separation.
Where to watch
No verified platform for the US market yet. We keep this section updated as availability changes.
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 2016
- Runtime
- 1h 41m
- Countries
- United States of America, United Kingdom
- Original language
- EN
- Directed by
- Travis Knight
- Main cast
- Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Brenda Vaccaro, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Meyrick Murphy, George Takei, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, Matthew McConaughey, Minae Noji
- Studios
- LAIKA
Content barometer
Violence
3/5
Notable
Fear
3/5
Notable tension
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
2/5
Moderate
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
This stop motion animated film is a richly crafted fantasy adventure set in old Japan, with beautiful visuals but a mood that is often dark, sad, and tense. The main sensitive elements involve repeated threats toward a child, magical and sword based combat, eerie creatures, and several losses and sacrifices that give the story real emotional weight. The intensity is stylized rather than graphic, yet fear is present throughout, with unsettling villains, night attacks, disturbing visions, and believable life or death danger for major characters. There is essentially no sexual content, almost no strong language, and no substance use, so the film still fits within family viewing despite its darker tone. For parents, the key concern is less graphic violence than the combination of grief, family separation, and fantasy imagery that may strongly affect children who are easily frightened. Watching with support is a good idea for younger viewers, especially if they are sensitive to loss, threatening faces, or stories where the hero must endure several frightening trials before hope returns.
Synopsis
Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.
Difficult scenes
Early in the story, Kubo is chased and attacked at night by his supernatural aunts, who want to take his remaining eye. The sequence mixes darkness, destruction, aggressive magic, and a strong sense of helplessness, which can be intense for young children as one of the film's first major danger scenes. One memorable sequence involves retrieving a weapon from a cave guarded by a giant animated skeleton. The creature is visually striking and threatening, the confrontation lasts a while, and even without gore, the scale of the monster and the feeling of being trapped can be scary. Later, Kubo and his companions enter a disturbing water setting and encounter a creature associated with many eyes that lures and endangers its victims. The mood becomes eerie and oppressive, with a strong sense of losing control that may unsettle children who are sensitive to monsters or invasive visual imagery. The story also includes several revelations tied to death, sacrifice, and the loss of important parental figures. These scenes are handled with emotion and seriousness rather than graphic detail, but they can still leave children sad and prompt questions about grief and separation.