Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bizarre animated tale about bullying is creepy, suspenseful.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Worms
What's the Story?
Junior has great toys and nice clothes, but being bad at wormball all but guarantees he won't fit in with the other worms. A trip to the surface with friends Nico and Linda proves to be a scary but character-building adventure where he uncovers an evil plot by a roly-poly bug to hypnotize all the worms. Together the trio must face this foe and their fears.
Is It Any Good?
WORMS ought to be perfectly serviceable, but something feels off in this Brazilian animated story. The plot is that a worm that doesn't fit in learns how to build confidence by facing some fears and makes great friends in the process. The stop-motion animation looks pretty good; some of the weird, creepy bugs are strangely reminiscent of the characters in Beetlejuice's purgatory world. But that also makes them decidedly creepy for kids. And with a stilted delivery and strangely wooden affectation, these characters just don't land, and those ultimately positive messages are buried under what might be off-putting or even scary for lots of kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why talking-creature movies are so popular. What's the appeal?
Does Junior learn that there's anything good about going to the surface? What new scary things have you tried that turned out to be great?
How does Junior deal with being bullied? What would you do if you were being bullied?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 20, 2013
- On DVD or streaming : April 21, 2015
- Director : Paolo Conti
- Studio : Vertical Entertainment
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Animals ( Bugs ) , Friendship
- Run time : 80 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Rated PG for some mild peril and rude humor
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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