Dickens & Rumi
Cover of The Tomorrow War

film

The Tomorrow War

Age rating, content warnings & parent guide

2021

Is The Tomorrow War appropriate for your child? See the reviewed age guidance, content cautions, positive themes, and supporting evidence below.

The world is stunned when a group of time travelers arrive from the year 2051 to deliver an urgent message: Thirty years in the future, mankind is losing a global war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians from the present to be transported to the future and join the fight. Among those recruited is high school teacher and family man Dan Forester. Determined to save the world for his young daughter, Dan teams up with a brilliant scientist and his estranged father in a desperate quest to rewrite the fate of the planet.

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10-second decision

Is this likely to fit your family?

Age guidanceNot listed
Strongest cautionsDeath of a character 5/5 · Violence 5/5 · Frightening scenes 4/5
Strongest positivesCourage & resilience 4/5 · Creativity & curiosity 4/5
Recommendation3.5/5

Courage & resilience; strongest caution: death of a character.

This is the quick scan. Open the evidence and methodology below for the basis behind each rating.

Quick context

What parents should know

Courage & resilience; strongest caution: death of a character.

Readiness snapshotMain watch-out: Death of a character 5/5
Recommendation 3.5/5

Editorial rating

How this review was built

Dickens & Rumi editorial
Source checkedPublication method
14Scored categories
14Evidence notes
0Explicit 0/5 checks
Oct 24, 2026Last updated

Dickens & Rumi describes what is present; families decide what matters to them. Community reactions are kept separate from official content ratings.

How ratings workReport a rating or series issue
Review depth14 scored categories14 evidence notes

Quick view

At a glance

Recommended ageNot listed

Strongest cautions

  • Death of a character5/5
  • Violence5/5
  • Frightening scenes4/5

Strongest positives

  • Courage & resilience4/5
  • Creativity & curiosity4/5
  • Good role models3/5

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What’s in it?

Death of a character5/5
Why this rating?

Death is central: most deployed recruits die, many civilians and soldiers are killed, and important characters die, including Muri and self-sacrificing teammates.

Graphic injury4/5
Why this rating?

The action includes severe injuries, alien attacks, bloodier deaths, dismemberment-like creature violence, and graphic battlefield imagery; intensity is substantial.

Strong language2/5
Why this rating?

Occasional mild to moderate profanity used in high-stress combat situations.

Romance2/5
Why this rating?

Minimal romance; focus is on familial relationships and action.

Frightening scenes4/5
Why this rating?

Frightening alien creatures, sudden attacks, mass casualties, falling bodies, collapsing bases, and extinction-level danger create sustained, intense tension.

Alcohol or drugs1/5
Why this rating?

Any adult alcohol use appears incidental rather than central, frequent, or glamorized.

Violence5/5
Why this rating?

Central and frequent military combat against aliens includes firearms, explosions, falling deaths, hand-to-hand fighting, sacrifices, and characters being attacked or killed.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience4/5
Why this rating?

Characters repeatedly face overwhelming alien threats, dangerous missions, grief, and likely death to protect others and preserve humanity's future.

Creativity & curiosity4/5
Why this rating?

Time travel, future-war strategy, alien biology, toxin research, and timeline-changing plans provide strong imaginative and inventive problem-solving elements.

Diverse representation2/5
Why this rating?

Features a multi-ethnic cast in supporting roles, though the main focus remains on the central family.

Educational value1/5
Why this rating?

Features light sci-fi concepts and pseudo-scientific problem-solving.

Kindness & empathy2/5
Why this rating?

Teamwork and self-sacrifice for the greater good are central themes.

Positive messages3/5
Why this rating?

It promotes protecting family and humanity, taking responsibility, scientific cooperation, sacrifice, reconciliation, and acting to prevent avoidable catastrophe.

Good role models3/5
Why this rating?

Dan, Muri, scientists, soldiers, and family members show courage and sacrifice, though some decisions involve dangerous violence and flawed judgment.

Family discussion

Talk about it

Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. What did courage look like in this story? Was being brave always the same as being fearless?
  2. How did the story approach death or loss? What helped the characters cope?
  3. Which choice in The Tomorrow War would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in The Tomorrow War, and what caused that change?
Discuss this title with other parents

Community perspective — separate from editorial ratings

What families noticed

Community signal

Community ratings and written reactions are a separate layer. They do not automatically change Dickens & Rumi’s official age guidance or content scores.

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These content notes are a starting point, not a guarantee. Review the evidence and use your own judgment before choosing a title.

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