Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Common Sense Media reviewers include writers, editors, and child development experts. They’re trained in creating high-quality parenting advice based on best practices in child development.

Delightful but dark Potter prequel is more grown-up.

Movie PG-13 2016 133 minutes

Parents Say: age 11+ 45 reviews
Any Iffy Content? Read more

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won’t—find in this movie.

Positive Messages

This movie’s messages, while grounded in the wizar

Positive Role Models

Newt Scamander is a wonderful role model. He cares

Violence & Scariness

Mass destruction, and a few character deaths and i

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Queenie is in a slip when first shown; she puts he

“Merlin’s Beard,” “hell,” “bugger,” “freak,” “anus

Products & Purchases

No brands are featured in the movie, but the film

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A scene takes place in a speakeasy; characters ord

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a prequel to the Harry Potter movies. Based on J.K. Rowling’s original story, it takes place in 1920s New York City and follows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a magizoologist and author of a Hogwarts textbook that catalogs magical…

Positive Messages

This movie’s messages, while grounded in the wizarding world, have applications in the real world, too: Learn about a creature (or person) instead of assuming it’s dangerous, be open-minded in interactions with those who aren’t like you, and work together against the forces of darkness. Compassion is a theme.

Positive Role Models

Newt Scamander is a wonderful role model. He cares for, studies, and protects magical creatures. He wants them to be understood, not feared. He’s curious, determined, and disciplined in his work and compassionate and kind in his dealings with others — not to mention courageous. Tina Goldstein is persistent and confident even though she’s no longer an Auror. Queenie is a kind, loving sister who sees beyond the fact Jacob is a No-Maj. Jacob gets over his initial fear to bravely help Newt.

Violence & Scariness

Mass destruction, and a few character deaths and injuries. A force of suppressed, out-of-control magic kills two No-Maj characters pretty hideously. Wizards and witches engage in wand battle. A wizard and witch are sentenced to die in a pool of an acid-like substance. Credence’s mother beats him; a scene shows him taking off his belt and handing it to her — his hands are later shown with welts and cuts.

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Sex, Romance & Nudity

Queenie is in a slip when first shown; she puts her dress on in front of male guests, one of whom ogles her. She also changes into a nightie and alludes to a man thinking what most boys think when they first see her. Two characters kiss. Another couple stares longingly at each other and holds each other.

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Language

very little
“Merlin’s Beard,” “hell,” “bugger,” “freak,” “anus.”

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Products & Purchases

very little

No brands are featured in the movie, but the film is part of the global Harry Potter phenomenon that has spawned countless products, from toys to games, clothing, and more.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A scene takes place in a speakeasy; characters order drinks at the bar — specifically, a magical drink implied to contain alcohol that’s called “giggle water” (it literally makes characters giggle). A supporting character smokes a cigar.

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a prequel to the Harry Potter movies. Based on J.K. Rowling’s original story, it takes place in 1920s New York City and follows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a magizoologist and author of a Hogwarts textbook that catalogs magical creatures. As per usual in the Potter saga, you can expect plenty of fantasy violence, some of which ends in deaths (a couple are pretty gruesome). There’s also mass destruction, although the property destroyed is magically fixed, and the minds of the No-Maj (“no magic”) folks are always erased. Wizards engage in wand battles, two wizards are sentenced to death and nearly killed, and an out-of-control form of magic nearly destroys whole swaths of Manhattan. A character’s mother beats him with a belt (welts, cuts are shown on his hands). One scene takes place in a speakeasy, where adult characters order drinks, and there’s a bit of light romance between couples that ends in goodbye kisses, longing looks, and brief caresses. Unlike the original Harry Potter movies, the main characters here are all adults, and the story is much more of a grown-up suspense/thriller than a kid-centric adventure. But themes and messages include curiosity, compassion, and courage, and the main characters are all strong role models. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.

Where to Watch

Videos and Photos

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Movie Review

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Official trailer

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Community Reviews

• Parents say (45)
• Kids say (140)

Based on 45 parent reviews

December 11, 2020

Fun and adventure for the whole family!

So many of the reviews of this movie here seem very conservative in their age recommendations. My husband and I watched this movie with our 8-year-old and our 10-year-old. Granted, both of our kids have read all of the Harry Potter books and then saw all of the Harry Potter movies. As a parent I enjoyed Fantastic Beasts much more than I enjoyed the Harry Potter movies, which paled in comparison to the books. Fantastic beasts is funny, exciting and very pleasant to watch given the costumes and time period. Some reviewers have complained about the sexual innuendos. I found them very mild, if noticeable at all to children. There certainly is a lot of adventure, and fighting, and yes, death. Seeing as our kids had already experienced all of Harry Potter this was not an issue for them but if your kids have not seen those movies or read the books this could be too much for them. Don’t let the reviews here scare you off from watching this with your kids. Just keep in mind how they did with Harry Potter and what specific concerns you might have, as all kids are different.

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June 25, 2020

Imaginative parallel to Potter’s world.

The whole family loved this. We are both Potter die hards and uninitiated. I was enjoyable to both sets. My 8 year old did ask lots of questions, but was not bothered by the wizard violence.

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What’s the Story?

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM opens in 1926. British magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in Manhattan with a briefcase full of magical creatures. Unfortunately for Scamander, a few of his friends — which are illegal to breed or keep in the United States — escape right around the same time that the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) is investigating a series of dark magical events. When demoted Auror (magical law enforcement officer) Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) discovers that Scamander has not only lost a few of his beasts but has also exposed a No-Maj (short for “no magic” — the American term for Muggles) bystander, Kowalski (Dan Fogler), to the magical realm, she tries to bring him in, only to be shooed away by her superiors. Eventually, the two men, Tina, and her mind-reading sister, Queenie (Alison Sudol), end up working together to find Newt’s missing creatures and clear their names of any connection to the forces of darkness that have killed a prominent No-Maj. Meanwhile, Director of Magical Security Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) is quietly tracking the possible source of the dark magic.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (45 ):
Kids say (140 ):

Immersing yourself in JK Rowling’s magical universe is always entertaining, but fans should know that this exploration of America’s wizarding world is definitely a more grown-up movie. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them isn’t set in child-friendly Hogwarts, full of House-sorted students going to class and learning about magical creatures. This is 1920s Manhattan, where magical characters face a very separatist attitude toward those without magic, as well as a frightening dark force that’s a threat to all New Yorkers. The period cityscape provides a wonderful contrast to Scamander’s amazing personal zoo, which he keeps hidden in his briefcase (that briefcase must use an even more impressive spell than Hermione’s purse in Deathly Hallows). All the wildly imaginative creatures are a marvel to look at, from the adorable Niffler, who loves to hunt for shiny things, to the Groot-like Bowtruckle, to the enormous hippo-like Erumpent and the awesome Thunderbird.

The performances are led by a perfectly cast Redmayne as the curious, kind Scamander, who just wants to protect the magical creatures. Fogler is fabulous as his No-Maj friend, a factory worker who dreams of owning a bakery. The Goldstein sisters are opposites but both easy to root for — with smart, capable Tina a bit reminiscent of Hermione and Queenie a lovely, Luna Lovegood-esque optimist. The villains aren’t quite as grand as the Big Bad Voldemort, but it’s clear that the anti-“witch” New Salemers (including secretly magic-curious Credence, played with creepy goodness by Ezra Miller) and whoever is suppressing and unleashing their magic aren’t the only people to be wary of in New York. The characters’ developing friendships and romances are kept pretty tween appropriate, but the violence and themes might be too much for single-digit-aged Potterheads.

Talk to Your Kids About .

• Families can talk about whether Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which can be very dark and disturbing at times, is appropriate for younger Harry Potter fans. What parts might be too much? (For more, check out our age-by-age guide to Harry Potter.)
• Is Newt Scamander a role model? How does he demonstrate curiosity, courage, and compassion? Why are those important character strengths? What about the other characters? Are Tina and Queenie strong female characters?
• What are some of the dangers of bullying and abuse? What effect did bullying and abuse have on Credence? Can keeping magic inside be a parallel for keeping emotions bottled up? What are healthy ways to express emotions?
• Newt cares very deeply about his magical creatures, even though many people think they’re dangerous. Is there an environmental message in the movie? Why are things scarier when they’re unknown?
• What are some of the differences and similarities between the American and British wizarding communities? What do you think about the laws forbidding American wizards from marrying or even interacting with a “no-maj”? What parallels can be drawn to the real world?

Movie Details

• In theaters: November 18, 2016
• On DVD or streaming: March 28, 2017
• Cast: Eddie Redmayne , Colin Farrell , Katherine Waterston , Dan Fogler
• Director: David Yates
• Inclusion Information: Female actors
• Studio: Warner Bros.
• Genre: Fantasy
• Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Book Characters
• Character Strengths: Compassion , Courage , Curiosity
• Run time: 133 minutes
• MPAA rating: PG-13
• MPAA explanation: some fantasy action violence
• Award: Common Sense Selection
• Last updated: July 31, 2023

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