This is an anticipated holiday movie for any sports lover out there. King Richard tells the story of the rise of Venus and Serena Williams’s tennis careers. But is this one kid-friendly? Is King Richard safe for kids? This parent movie review will help you decide if your family can watch it together. Don’t forget to check out the movie quotes from King Richard too!
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About King Richard
Based on the true story that will inspire the world, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “King Richard follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever. Two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith (“Ali,” “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “Bad Boys for Life”) stars as Richard, under the direction of Reinaldo Marcus Green (“Monsters and Men”).
Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard has a plan that will take Venus and Serena Williams from the streets of Compton, California to the global stage as legendary icons. The profoundly moving film shows the power of family, perseverance, and unwavering belief as a means to achieve the impossible and impact the world.
You can watch the King Richard trailer here.
Is King Richard Safe For Kids? Parent Movie Review
If your kids are interested in the sports or have some background about the Williams sister’s tennis career, then they are likely asking to see this movie about Venus and Serena’s early lives.
They may also be big Will Smith fans- who isn’t?
But is King Richard appropriate for all kids? What ages can watch this one? And is King Richard safe for the kids in your household to watch?
Here’s what you need to know about the language, violence, sex/nudity, and adult content in King Richard to determine if it’s kid-friendly for your family.
Is King Richard Safe For Kids: Language
King Richard is a movie with a lot of strong language in it.
If language is something your family is sensitive to, this one may be something you skip or watch at home on HBO Max vs in theaters. Just makes it easier to walk away from if you determine the language is not kid-friendly for your household!
We heard instances of sh!t, BS, p!ss used, along with other mild swears like d@mn and h@ll.
There is a use of G-d d@amn in the movie as well as OMG.
Racial slurs are used as well, with at least 7 instances in the movie.
So it’s a lot and peppered throughout. Proceed with caution for young ears.
Violence In King Richard
There are some violent moments and discussions of violence that parents need to know about in this movie.
There’s a shooting death of a young adult, a scene where someone threatens to rape a young girl, and a fight where blood is seen after a beating.
Guns are seen multiple times in the movie.
A current of tension and violence runs through this one, and there are some intense moments that could make King Richard scary for young children to watch.
Is King Richard Ok For Kids? Sex and Nudity
As mentioned above, a rape is threatened (but does not happen).
A few women are showing a bit of cleavage in a provocative way, and there’s a shirtless male seen.
There are some flirtations and hugs and kisses but no nudity or actual sex occurs on screen.
Adult Content: King Richard Kid-Friendly?
While this movie does get a PG-13 rating, we can’t say it’s exactly kid-friendly.
The intensity of the training the girls go through, the language, some mild drug usage, and over all tension in the movie may not make this one ok for families to watch.
We advise screening King Richard before taking your younger kids to the movie.
What Ages Are Appropriate For King Richard?
This one deserves the hard PG-13 rating, and parents probably want to stick with that recommendation.
The movie is also very long- a tad *too* long- at 2 hours and 26 minutes. So heading into the theater with younger children may be asking a lot of them to stay engaged!
Kids closer to high school and up are probably safe to watch this one.
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Patty Holliday is a parent movie reviewer, writer, and podcaster living in the Washington, DC area. Her goal is to bridge the gap between casual fandom and picky critic with parent movie and television reviews. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.