More often than not, movies made with a child audience in mind end up being animated. Both Dreamworks and Pixar Studios are at the forefront of these kid-oriented movies, with popular titles like Shrek, Finding Nemo, How to Train Your Dragon, Coco, and much, much more. However, when a live-action film is aimed at a younger audience, these films will often feature child actors in a lead or primary supporting role to provide characters that the children can relate to. Think early Harry Potter movies, Home alone, the Sandlot, And spy kids, just a few examples.
While on many occasions you will see child actors in these types of roles in films aimed at younger audiences, that does not mean that child actors are only limited to these types of films. Often, children even star in films specifically intended for adult audiences, appearing in films that are rated PG-13 or R. Whether it’s a movie that focuses solely on a group of kids or uses a kid in a supporting role to complement their fellow adult actors, there are plenty of child actors in movies that are meant for adults. Here are ten of those movies where kids star in an adult movie.
10 Boyhood
Boyhood takes one of the most unique approaches to filmmaking in recent history, as the film was made over the course of 12 years. Viewers watch child actor Ellar Coltrane grow up before their very eyes as the film shows the highs and lows that come with growing up and gives adult viewers an experience that everyone can relate to. While the movie ends with Coltrane, who plays Mason in the movie, all grown up when he turns 18 years old, the movie opens with him as a young six year old while Boyhood tells a powerful coming-of-age story. Sure, kids can watch the movie and get some sort of relatable experience when Mason is in the younger stages of his life, but the progression through his adolescence and the relationships with his family can resonate with any young adult or any parent who has their children grow up right in front of them. Kids can watch the movie, but it’s definitely made with the adult viewer in mind.
9 The boy in the striped pajamas
The boy in the striped pajamas touches on the most gruesome tragedy of the past 100 years in world history through the eyes of two young boys. Despite criticism from historians for historical inaccuracies and unrealistic scenarios surrounding the Holocaust, the story of two boys who become friends without knowing the true nature of their surroundings is really powerful and shows that people are not born with hatred in their hearts. Telling such a dramatic story around such a horrible time period shows that the film is definitely intended for the adult viewer, but telling the story through the lens of children who are not fully aware of the world around them makes the story so much more tragic. and emotionally resonant.
8 The shining
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While Jack Torrance’s descent into madness in The shining is what many fans of the film will remember, young Danny and his paranormal visions play just as important a role in the film. This classic horror film is clearly intended for adults, with supernatural events and suspenseful moments that will keep any viewer on the edge of their seat throughout the film. Not only does Danny play a pivotal role in the movie as we learn more about the ominous Overlook Hotel and how it affects its residents, his importance isn’t really cemented until the film’s climax. Danny is chased by an axe-wielding Jack through a snowy maze in an iconic horror chase scene until Danny escapes and we see Jack frozen in the snow the next morning. And Danny isn’t the only kid we see in the movie either, as one of the supernatural events Danny sees is the appearance of the Grady twins, who ask Danny to “come and play with us”.
7 Billy Eliot
Billy Eliot is already intended for adults by its R rating, but it’s not often you see an R-rated movie starring a child, let alone a movie starring a child being adapted into both a novel and a Broadway musical . Billy Eliot takes viewers to 1980s England where we see a young Billy discover his talent and love for ballet. While the story is a great coming-of-age journey for Billy, the strong language used throughout the movie is the main reason for the R rating. The story is also great for adults who have gone through a similar experience or family dynamic to Billy’s, with certain themes that really resonate with kids about finding their passions, but the strong language shows that the movie is really meant for the grown-up viewer. .
6 About a boy
The main story in it About a boy is about the relationship between carefree adult Will and 12-year-old Marcus and how they help each other grow as a person. After Will meets Marcus by pretending to be a single parent, he must help Marcus navigate his school life after being targeted by bullies, while Marcus actually helps Will mature as a person in the process. The film combines various elements of comedy, romance and drama to create an emotionally resonant film. About a boy can definitely be watched and enjoyed by older kids and teens, but the PG-13 rating combined with some of the mature elements surrounding Marcus’ mom Fiona show that the movie is definitely not meant for young kids to watch.
5 Big Daddy
Big Daddy is another film that emphasizes the relationship between an adult and a young boy, except it takes a much more comical path than About a boy. This is made clear with Adam Sandler starring, as the 1999 movie was made at a time that many moviegoers would say was Adam Sandler’s pinnacle in both movies and performances. In the film, Sandler portrays Sonny, a slacker who tries to take on more responsibility by agreeing to look after five-year-old Julian, played by the Sprouse twins. The film’s comedy is the main reason it earned the PG-13 rating along with many of Adam Sandler’s other films during the same period of the 1990s. This kind of comedy seems specifically aimed at an adult audience, even though there are small moments that a younger audience might enjoy.
4 The exorcist
One of the most obvious examples on this list of a movie starring a kid that’s clearly intended for an adult audience is The exorcist. This classic horror movie is about a young girl who is possessed by the devil as two priests are tasked with exorcising the demon from the girl. The young girl Regan in the film is the physical embodiment of this malevolent force throughout the film, and the horror elements along with some of the terrifying things viewers see in the film are enough to frighten just about any viewer, not even how scary the movie would be for every child to see.
3 Kindergarten agent
On the surface, Kindergarten agent seems great for kids. A cop posing as a kindergarten teacher seems to offer great comedy for all ages, with an interesting fish-out-of-water idea that the whole family can enjoy. However, the cop who teaches preschool is also paired with the cop, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is on the hunt for a drug lord and ruthless criminals. However, since the movie is a comedy movie as well as an action movie, it makes sense that the story isn’t completely focused on the kindergarten side of the story. So while part of the movie seems family-friendly, the rest of the surrounding movie shows it’s meant for adults to see.
2 Stay with me
When it comes to a movie about a group of young boys going on an adventure together, classic family-friendly fan favorites like The Goonies or The Sandlot. On the surface it seems Stay with me would fit in the same category as these other movies, but in reality Stay with me is a much more mature film aimed at mature audiences, despite the main cast being a group of four young boys. Instead of looking for hidden treasure or playing baseball, the boys go inside Stay with me on an adventure in the hope of finding a corpse. The ensuing film tells a moving coming-of-age story as the group learns more about each other on their life-changing journey.
1 lord of the flies
This 1963 adaptation is based on the 1954 book of the same name, as lord of the flies revolves around a large group of schoolboys stranded on a remote island. The boys try to establish some form of society before the group eventually devolves into brutality and violence. Despite the entire cast being made up of children, the violent nature of the film coupled with themes of hate and fear shows that this is not the type of film that children should watch. The film, considered much more faithful to the original novel than the 1990 adaptation of the story, shows that all humans will eventually fall into chaos while isolated, no matter how old one is.