Contributor: Bret Eckelberry

Bret loves a good story—be it a movie, show, or video game—and enjoys geeking out about things like plot and story structure. He has a blast reading and writing fiction and has penned several short stories and screenplays. He and his wife love to kayak the many beautiful Colorado lakes with their dog.

a house of dynamite

A House of Dynamite

‘A House of Dynamite’ tells a complex and chilling tale, but heavy themes and harsh language will have families seeking shelter.

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good boy

Good Boy

‘Good Boy’ is an inventive horror flick that takes place from a dog’s perspective. But this film won’t quite be a family’s best friend.

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regretting you

Regretting You

Sensuality, an extramarital affair, substance abuse and harsh language are all on the list of regrettable content in romance drama ‘Regretting You.’

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black phone 2

Black Phone 2

With a disturbing story filled with gory violence—much of which is perpetrated against children—families will want to leave ‘Black Phone 2’ on hold.

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tron ares

Tron: Ares

The latest installment in Disney’s long-running sci-fi adventure series is full of stylish action and relatively light on content bugs.

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twinless

Twinless

‘Twinless’ explores an interesting concept, but explicit sexual content, vulgar language and some violence make it one to skip.

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him

Him

‘Him’ envisions pro football as a neo-pagan bloodsport and tells a grim and gory story to match—with a heavy dose of dark spirituality to boot.

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caught stealing

Caught Stealing

A barrage of content concerns—including graphic violence, language and sexuality—makes ‘Caught Stealing’ a strikeout with discerning viewers.

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bau artist at war

Bau: Artist at War

Though ‘Bau: Artist at War’ has some content to navigate, the film presents a powerful message about overcoming evil with humor, hope and love.

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is roblox safe for kids

Is Roblox Safe for Kids?

Plugged In discusses the controversies surrounding Roblox and attempts to answer the question: “Is Roblox safe for kids?”

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relay

Relay

‘Relay’ has a compelling connection which, unfortunately, becomes garbled by its own insistence on avoidable content issues.

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emmy awards

Everything You Need to Know About the 2025 Emmy® Awards

Why are so many of the 2025 Emmy Awards nominees un-family friendly? How can parents protect their kids from popular but problematic shows?

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weapons

Weapons

‘Weapons’ is a foul horror-mystery mix of grisly violence, sexual content, drug use, profane language and dark spirituality.

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family movies

Five Great Family Movies That Came Out This Summer

With the summer movie season winding down, let’s highlight some summer blockbusters that were (in some cases, surprisingly) great for families.

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f1 the movie

F1® The Movie’s Surprisingly Empty Message

With the summer movie season approaching the checkered flag, we took another look at ‘F1® The Movie’ and its surprisingly hollow message.

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