Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Personalized picks at your fingertips

Get the mobile app on iOS and Android

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

Inside

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

One-man escape/survival movie has blood, sex, swearing.

Movie R 2023 105 minutes
Inside Movie Poster: Willem Dafoe, looking anguished, wears a ratty bathrobe and stands in a puddle of water as the picture window behind him looks down on New York City

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • Inside Movie: Willem Dafoe moves through a penthouse, looking for artworks to steal
  • Inside Movie: Willem Dafoe, wrapped in a blanket, gazes at a portrait hanging on the wall
  • Inside Movie: Willem Dafoe, wrapped in a blanket, speaks into a walkie-talkie while standing by the window at night

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In INSIDE, skilled art thief Nemo (Willem Dafoe) breaks into a penthouse to steal three priceless paintings. But things don't go as planned. One of the paintings isn't where it's supposed to be, and the exit door code doesn't work. The penthouse automatically locks itself down, and Nemo's partner abandons him. Nemo is trapped, unable to open any doors or windows. Worse, the water and gas aren't working, and the central heating/cooling system starts raising the temperature to a stifling degree. As time passes, Nemo spends his time alternately finding ways to survive, brainstorming ways to escape, and pondering existence.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1 ):

Definitely not a standard Hollywood escape/survival thriller, this arty drama/thriller alternates between moments in which we root for the character to succeed and unsettling existential passages. Directed by Greek-born filmmaker Vasilis Katsoupis, Inside is beautifully designed, including every nook and cranny of the lavish, opulent penthouse, which is filled with actual works of art. Eventually the penthouse itself is turned into a work of art after Nemo moves furniture, leaves rubbish everywhere, and even sketches on the walls.

Multiple-Oscar nominee Dafoe does some impressive heavy lifting here; he's the only character on-screen, although viewers hear voices and see images of others through security cameras. The scenes in which he cleverly finds ways to survive and works through a lengthy escape are right out of a traditional thriller, solid and entertaining. But the other scenes and sequences -- the hallucinations, a rambling joke, passing the time, and other strange stuff -- can be off-putting. And, as Inside gets closer to its conclusion, it becomes more and more opaque, bristling with possible hidden meanings but difficult to pin down. Some viewers will enjoy pondering it, but others will understandably be frustrated or annoyed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Inside's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • What do you think the movie is about? Art? Survival? Something else?

  • Even though the main character is a thief, viewers are still meant to root for him to survive and escape. Why do you think this is?

  • How is sex depicted here? What values are imparted?

  • How are drinking and smoking portrayed? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?

Movie Details

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 suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

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