Parents' Guide to

Dr. Strangelove: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Black-comedy Kubrick classic has violence, dark themes.

Movie NR 1964 95 minutes
Dr. Strangelove: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Avery B.
Avery B. Adult
January 17, 2021
age 13+

But

If your kid understands it at 13, and you haven't given them the talk yet, maybe now's the time

This title has:

Great messages
SnoopyinaBlender
SnoopyinaBlender Parent of 12-year-old
March 27, 2020
age 13+

Great for any literate family

Hilarious and especially applicable in the dark Covid-19 times. Funniest suicide scene in history (though that is an especially limited category).
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

IN DR. STRANGELOVE: OR, HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB, Rogue American General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) goes mad and sends planes to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union; he cuts off all communication to the base, and only he knows the three-letter code to cancel the attack. Officials scramble to deal with the situation, but the mild-mannered U.S. president (Peter Sellers) and highly civilized British officer Captain Mandrake (Sellers again) are no match for bloodthirsty General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) and the demented Dr. Strangelove (Sellers again), a former Nazi expert on nuclear weapons. Can the attack be stopped in time?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (27 ):

Featuring a landmark performance by Sellers, this film is the blackest of black comedies -- a Duck Soup for the Cold War era. Lauded repeatedly as one of the best movies ever made, Dr. Strangelove's sophisticated mix of satire and politics makes it a better fit for teens who can put some of the humor into context. It's a great film to watch as a family, as it's sure to prompt plenty of discussion.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the nature of war and peace (begin with Ripper's quote from Clémeanceu about war being too important to be left to the generals) and about the best ways of ensuring an enduring peace.

  • What do you think of making fun of issues such as madness and nuclear war?

  • If Dr. Strangelove were to be made today, which details would be changed? Whom do you think the nuclear threat would come from?

Movie Details

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