Parents' Guide to

Fred: The Movie

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

YouTube star's movie is fraught with disaster for tweens.

Movie NR 2010 83 minutes
Fred: The Movie Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 10+

Based on 44 parent reviews

Accurate P.
Accurate P. Parent of 15-year-old
August 17, 2022
age 10+

Absolutely f*cking terrible.

Rated AA

This title has:

Too much consumerism
1 person found this helpful.
matt V.
matt V. Parent of 2 and 14-year-old
May 2, 2023
age 5+

HES SO HOT

Best Movie, SO MUCH FRED. He is god, fred is my religon

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 44 parent reviews

What's the Story?

FRED: THE MOVIE chronicles the desperate attempts of social outcast Fred Figglehorn (Lucas Cruikshank) to locate his longtime crush, Judy (Pixie Lott), after her family moves away from the house next door. Fred's journey is filled with unexpected twists and turns, but his resolve to find her and tell her how he feels keeps him trekking along. Once they're face to face, however, he discovers that his feelings might not be reciprocated, so he hatches a plan to change his downtrodden social status.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (44):
Kids say (140):

This movie makes light of some serious issues faced by this impressionable tween/teen age group, and its messages fly in the face of responsible behavior. If you've never heard of Fred Figglehorn, you're not alone -- but chances are your tweens and teens have. Cruikshank first garnered Internet fame with short episodes on YouTube centered on the suspenders-wearing oddball he created. If your kids have seen the shorts, then they won't be surprised by Fred's irritating voice, hyperactivity, and juvenile tantrums -- but newcomers might be put off by the over-the-top star.

And parents will have plenty of axes to grind beyond Fred's annoying persona. Not only does the movie glorify Fred's disturbing obsession with unsuspecting Judy (he tracks her movements and admits to watching her in her house through his bedroom window), it's also got lots of substitute cursing. Plus, kids bully one another in the physical, psychological, and cyber senses, and Fred's attempts to win popularity illuminate the fragile nature of relationships among tweens and teens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about relationships. What makes a relationship "healthy" or "unhealthy"? What should you do if your interest in someone isn't reciprocated? What are your family's rules about dating?

  • Tweens: Did you find this movie funny? What did you think of the characters? Did you like Fred before watching this movie? How did you first hear about him?

  • What instances of bullying did you see in the movie? Have you ever seen similar situations in real life? What can kids do to avoid this kind of thing?

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