Parents' Guide to

Poltergeist (2015)

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Ghostly remake is scary but not as good as the original.

Movie PG-13 2015 93 minutes
Poltergeist (2015) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 12+

Based on 15 parent reviews

age 10+

Great Movie!

If your kid has watched a quiet place, This is perfect. Not as scary as a quiet place! Trust me when I say if your kid is 10 or older, Let them watch it!
age 15+

Too scary to have a PG-13 rating

R: intense sequences of violence, some scary images with some language and some horror-related mometns

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (15):
Kids say (39):

As unnecessary remakes go, Poltergeist isn't the most egregious, but it's also not a particularly inspired take on the brilliantly creepy original. Despite the excellent character actors playing the parents, the movie doesn't elicit viewers' investment in this family or their horrible situation. There are a couple of tiny moments that channel how bad the Bowens have it (Eric has to try three credit cards before he can successfully check out at the store; acquaintances casually inform them about the cemetery on which their development was built), but there's not enough time to really care about any of them.

Yes, there are some legitimately creepy moments, but this remake doesn't actually add value to the original other than throw a lot of updated technology into the mix. Still a safe bet for a "first" horror film, Poltergeist won't traumatize mature tweens or young teens trying out the genre, but it also won't live on in their cinematic memories like the original did for a generation of audiences. Dated elements and all, the original may have a longer running time, but it also has a much longer shelf life.

Movie Details

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