Disney's Cruella 2021: A Parents Guide

Updated September 25, 2021

Growing up, I was never a fan of 101 Dalmations. As a dog lover, a movie about a villain who wants to use Dalmatians for their fur coats just didn’t appeal to me. However, once I saw the trailer for Disney’s live-action feature film, Cruella, I knew that I had to see it. And I wasn’t disappointed! Cruella is now available to stream on Disney+ for subscribers. But with an overall darker tone than traditional Disney movies, is Cruella appropriate for younger kids? I’m answering that question and more in my spoiler free Cruella parents guide. With a PG-13 rating that includes brief language, some violence and thematic elements, here’s what parents need to know about Cruella.

Emma Stone as Cruella in Disney’s live-action CRUELLA. Photo by Laurie Sparham.

Disney’s Cruella 2021: A Parents Guide

Cruella is basically an origin story for the villain in 101 Dalmations. As Cruella (Emma Stone) tells another character in the movie “People need a villain to believe in. I’m happy to fit the bill.” But, it turns out that there’s more to the story. The movie begins with her as a young girl, only her name is Estella. After her mom dies, Estella takes refuge with two boys named Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser). Fast forward to the 1970s and Estella wants to pursue her dream of becoming a fashion designer. Only she meets her match in the Baroness (Emma Thompson), a narcissistic top fashion designer. Here’s what parents need to know about Cruella.

Emma Stone as Cruella. Photo by Laurie Sparham.

What is Cruella (2021) Rated?

Cruella is rated PG-13, which means that some material is not suitable for children under the age of 13. For example, it may contain violence, nudity, sensuality, and/or language. Here, the movie contains mostly violence and thematic elements and some brief language, but more about that below.

Brief Language

Other than a character using the word “hell,” there really isn’t any profanity in this movie. Instead, characters say phrases like “psycho,” “bum clencher,” “oh, farts,” and “imbeciles.”

Violence

This is where the movie earns its PG-13 rating. There are a few fighting scenes involving punches being thrown and some of the characters commit crimes such as murder, theft, and dognapping. There are scenes depicting animal violence against humans and also implied human violence against animals. There’s also a scene involving kidnapping and arson, which can also be frightening for small children.

Emma Thompson as the Baroness in Disney’s live-action CRUELLA. Photo by Laurie Sparham

Overall Thoughts

Holy smokes. Is Cruella a good movie? Yes. Most emphatically yes. It’s not just a good movie, it’s a fantastic movie. The acting performances by Emma Stone and Emma Thompson are phenomenal and quite frankly, they both deserve Academy Award nominations for their performances. The costume designs and the soundtrack are also noteworthy because they round out the film.

With a PG-13 rating, though, Cruella is darker in tone for younger kids. The movie is also over 2 hours long, which can be a challenge for them to sit through. However, my 8 year old son watched the movie with me and after it was over, he said “I have to say, this was a good movie.” And that’s high praise coming from a kid who typically enjoys action movies over anything else. But, as always, as a parent you’ll want to use your discretion.

Is it worth it to watch Cruella on Disney+?

Without any hesitation, the answer is yes, yes it is……..for the reasons I mentioned above. There is one scene in particular that contained old fashioned slapstick humor, and my son wanted to replay that particular scene about four times in a row. That’s something we wouldn’t have been able to do if we had seen it in the theater. So that’s definitely an advantage of watching it on Disney+.

In the meantime, my friend Tessa at Mama’s Geeky had the opportunity to attend the press junket for Cruella and has more about the phenomenal acting in the film. Click here for her article!

And if you’re looking for other family family friendly movies to watch on Disney+, click here for my review for Raya and the Last Dragon.

About Cruella

Academy Award® winner Emma Stone (“La La Land”) stars in Disney’s “Cruella,” an all-new live-action feature film about the rebellious early days of one of cinemas most notorious – and notoriously fashionable – villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil. “Cruella,” which is set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, follows a young grifter named Estella, a clever and creative girl determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of the Baroness von Hellman, a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute, played by two-time Oscar® winner Emma Thompson (“Howards End,” “Sense & Sensibility”). But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella.