The Nightmare Before Christmas

Movie review by Liz Perle, Common Sense Media
The Nightmare Before Christmas Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

Tim Burton magic with just a touch of scariness.

PG 1993 76 minutes
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Parents say

age 7+

Based on 107 reviews

Kids say

age 7+

Based on 207 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

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What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Nightmare Before Christmas is an offbeat, stop motion-animated movie that's one of the great family films for all ages. That said, it does have scary creatures in it -- characters take off their own heads and limbs, and there are skeletons, nasty toys, and a creepy villain named Oogie Boogie. A Christmas tree even burns up. Some little kids who aren't old enough to distinguish this fantasy from the goings on at Halloween (or those prone to nightmares) might steer clear, although you can always hit pause and talk about what's scaring them. The special 3D version is identical in content and storyline to the original, but the enhanced visuals may add marginal spookiness and could further blur the line between fantasy and reality for some younger kids.

Community Reviews

Smoki
Smoki Adult
March 11, 2019
age 11+

Very dark, unpleasant to watch

My daughter insisted on watching this movie for months. I told her she can watch it when she is 8, and when she turned 8 she reminded me about this, so I let her watch it. I read some of the reviews saying that it was scary and had some questionable scenes, but I honestly thought they were exaggerating since I found few other movies that weren't rated so highly on this site quite pleasant to watch with my child. But this time the reviewers weren't exaggerating. Even my daughter said after watching it that it was scary and some scenes she really didn't like. Particularly, the scene where Boogie Man turns into a sack full of disgusting warms crawling everywhere was very disturbing to her (and to me). The first 5 minutes of the movie are pretty disturbing, and my daughter covered her eyes (without me prompting) when she was watching it. This movie uses very dark humor and has pretty dark, disturbing characters in it. As an adult, I think that the idea is very original, and there is some art to the movie and it's very unique. That being said, I would never, ever recommend it for children who are only 7 years old. I think this movie is more appropriate for kids over 10.
8 people found this helpful.
Sandrau3
Sandrau3 Adult
March 12, 2022
age 2+
Great movie ! Even it’s full of “monsters” and the main character is a skeleton it’s not spookey at all.
6 people found this helpful.
See all 107 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Made in stop-motion animation, Tim Burton's holiday fantasy THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS centers around Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King (voiced by Chris Sarandon) -- a creature who is to Halloween what Santa is to Christmas. When Jack becomes bored with staging yet another frightnight for the sketchy members of Halloweentown, he wanders away from town one night and stumbles across Christmastown and becomes immediately entranced. Jack decides he needs to bring Christmas to Halloweentown and he is willing to do just about anything to make it happen -- even it if means kidnapping Santa himself. Unfortunately for Jack, his plans don't exactly come out right. The holidays just don't translate. Whether it's a coffin-shaped sled pulled by skeletal robo-reindeer to gifts that terrify their recipients or shrunken heads, or snakes that devour Christmas trees (all done in a way that isn't too scary for kids), the effects just don't come out the way Jack wishes. At one point, the military is called out to shoot down Jack's sled from the Christmas Eve skies.

Is It Any Good?

With a nod to Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Burton has fashioned a funny, darkish tale that pokes a bit of fun at kids' two favorite holidays (indeed, only the Easter Bunny is spared). The Nightmare Before Christmas is a magical marvel.

The movie is twisted in the way of Roald Dahl or even Maurice Sendak, are slightly off kilter. By changing the perspective on something we all take for granted, Burton makes us see these special holidays anew. And, of course, he does provide a happy ending. It's pure Tim Burton -- utterly weird and totally enchanting.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the holidays are represented in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Why do we celebrate the holidays we do. What does your favorite holiday mean to you? Has anyone ever tried to ruin one of your holiday experiences, and how did you overcome that? When you get tired of something, what are some creative ways to bring excitement back into it?

  • Why did Jack's experiment fail? Is it fair to expect people who have done something the same way for a long time to change quickly? Could Jack have tried his ideas a different way?

  • How do the characters in The Nightmare Before Christmas demonstrate empathy? Why is this an important character strength?

Movie Details

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