THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
Exciting family fantasy with magic, scares, and a warning about occult knowledge.
Should You Watch It?
You should, if your family is looking for fast-moving fantasy with a strong family center. The Spiderwick Chronicles offers plenty of thrills for younger moviegoers while affirming the importance of sticking together when evil threatens.
The movie’s magical worldview is mixed, but its basic attitude is morally uplifting and biblical. It warns about the dangers of seeking secret occult knowledge and shows how carelessness can make a family vulnerable to deadly consequences. The cost is some scary violence, magical imagery, and brief foul language.
For children over 10 and adults, this is exciting family fun with themes worth discussing. Younger children may need a different choice.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAfter Helen Grace moves her three children into the former home of their great aunt Lucinda, Jared begins noticing unusual happenings in the old house. He discovers a mysterious book written by Lucinda’s long-missing father, Arthur Spiderwick.
Although the book carries a warning, Jared reads it and unleashes a magical world around the house. Evil goblins led by the ogre Mulgarath want the book’s knowledge for themselves, forcing Jared to persuade his family to help stop them.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a good, entertaining family fantasy with clear limitations. The story moves at a brisk pace and delivers plenty of action and thrills for younger moviegoers.
Its strongest feature is the way it places family at the center of the adventure. The film also builds its conflict around a meaningful warning: curiosity about secret magical knowledge can have serious consequences. The mixed magical worldview keeps the movie from being entirely comfortable for Christian families, but its overall moral direction is positive.
The Worldview
The film enters a fairyland of goblins, hobgoblins, fairies, sprites, ogres, and other magical creatures. Its worldview is somewhat mixed, but it ultimately presents these forces as dangerous rather than harmless. Jared’s careless reading of the Spiderwick book opens his family to an unseen occult world, and the story warns about becoming obsessed with secret knowledge.
That warning aligns with a biblical concern about turning toward occult powers instead of trusting God. The movie also affirms family, emphasizes the strength found in standing together, and includes lessons about the consequences of obsession. Its treatment of the magical world remains underdeveloped, but its basic attitude is morally uplifting and biblical.
The story’s family emphasis also includes an off-screen father who has abandoned his family, a mother assuring her son that his father loves him, and another father who recognizes his mistake and makes amends. These elements support the film’s larger interest in family bonds and reconciliation.
Scripture says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). The film’s warning about seeking occult knowledge points in that direction, even though its fairy-tale world remains magical rather than biblical.
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Light Christian worldview with strong moral elements that affirms family and takes an underdeveloped view warning about getting involved with, and getting obsessed with gaining secret knowledge about, an occult/pagan world of magical creatures; one obscenity, one incomplete obscenity, 11 light profanities, and hobgoblin spits into people’s eyes so they can see magical creatures; action violence includes some scary moments, girl kills goblins with sword, brief images of green goblin or troll blood are shown a few times, goblins chase and attack people, boy’s leg seriously scratched, chase scene with boy on roof in danger of falling and getting seriously hurt or killed, large serpent attacks people, goblins drag boy and imprison him, large troll chase children through tunnel, truck hits large troll, and hole punched in wall; no sex, but comment made that a father has moved in with his girlfriend; no nudity; no alcohol; no smoking; and, kidnapping, boy ignores warning, off-screen father has abandoned family but mother tells son at one point his father loves him, another father is obsessed with his work but realizes his mistake in time to make amends, and deceitful villain lies.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Jared ignores a warning and becomes involved with dangerous secret knowledge. Why can curiosity become harmful when it leads us away from God’s wisdom?
Deuteronomy 18:10–12 · James 1:5The family must stand together against the magical forces surrounding their home. What helps a family remain united during fear or conflict?
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 · Galatians 6:2One father realizes his mistake and makes amends. What does genuine repentance look like in a family relationship?
2 Corinthians 7:10 · Matthew 5:23–24The film includes a mother telling her son that his father loves him even after the father has abandoned the family. How can God’s faithfulness bring hope when human relationships fail?
Psalm 27:10 · Hebrews 13:5The Final Word
The Spiderwick Chronicles delivers brisk, exciting family fantasy while warning about the dangers of occult knowledge. The magic and scary action call for parents’ discernment, but children over 10 can find positive family themes and worthwhile lessons here. Our answer is WORTH THE TRIP — AGES 10 AND UP.
