Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Enormous scale and spectacle, but weak characters, story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Cloud Atlas
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 15 parent reviews
Parents say the film is a visually impressive and thematically ambitious spectacle that tackles complex interconnected stories across time, yet it struggles with its execution, leaving many viewers feeling overwhelmed by its length and graphic content. While some praise the deep philosophical messages and emotional resonance, others criticize the excessive violence, nudity, and lack of coherent character development, making it inappropriate for children and even many teens.
- visual storytelling
- graphic content
- complex themes
- emotional resonance
- adult audience
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 11 kid reviews
What's the Story?
With six interwoven stories, CLOUD ATLAS attempts to show how acts in one time period can resonate in another. In the 19th century, a notary (Jim Sturgess) receives mysterious treatments from a doctor (Tom Hanks) and befriends an escaped slave. In 1931, a young musician (Ben Whishaw) goes to work for a legendary composer (Jim Broadbent). In 1975, a journalist (Halle Berry) investigates a nuclear power company. In the present day, a publisher (Broadbent) escapes some gangsters by checking into a retirement home but can't check back out. In the near future, a clone waitress (Doona Bae) learns that she has a greater destiny. And in the far future, a simple tribesman (Hanks) receives a visit from a technologically advanced woman (Berry).
Is It Any Good?
By normal standards, this is a disappointing movie, but it isn't an ordinary movie. If the six stories were disentangled and laid out separately, it would be clear that none of them has much depth or surprise. Cloud Atlas cuts corners to rush the multitude of shallow characters through their story arcs, which results in a general lack of rhythm. It becomes one long, monotonous thrum. What's more, the almost fetishistic use of makeup to distinguish the characters from the actors who play them is highly distracting, and the guessing game of who's behind which fake appendage becomes more interesting than the story itself.
But since Cloud Atlas is an "epic folly" (like David Lynch's Dune), many audiences will find themselves swept away and perhaps even enchanted by the movie's mere efforts to be huge and impressive. Throughout Hollywood history, size and scale have often triumphed over content, and, for many, the magnifying and inflating of these empty stories may make them seem resonant.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Cloud Atlas' violence. Does "fantasy" violence have a different impact than "realistic" violence? How does the violence contribute to the story in this movie?
How does the movie portray sex/sexual relationships?
If the movie's theme is "connections" and events resonating throughout time, what are some examples of this? Can you think of a way that this has happened in real life?
Which character is the most admirable? Which story affected you the most?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 26, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : May 14, 2013
- Cast : Halle Berry , Jim Sturgess , Tom Hanks
- Directors : Lilly Wachowski , Lana Wachowski , Tom Tykwer
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Queer Movie Director(s) , Transgender Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Run time : 172 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, language, sexuality/nudity and some drug use
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate