Ask HN: Science fiction movies that are appropriate for 12 year olds?

[tarunupaday]

So, my older son is almost 12, and while he reads a good amount of science fiction (Three-Body Problem, Asimov, Project Hail Mary etc.) - he does not enjoy Science Fiction movies as much.

He found 2001: space odyssey kind of slow and tedious, and I have not introduced him to The Matrix etc., as I think it has some strong adult language and themes.

However, I would like him to be introduced to a world of movies beyond Star Wars and the Marvel Universe. What are some well-made science fiction movies appropriate for 12-year-olds?

[gonehome]

Arrival - best science fiction movie in recent memory (maybe ever?)

Ex Machina - also great.

Her - different style, but still very good (also with recent LLM developments maybe closer than we think).

The Martian (not as good, but entertaining)

Also I know parents have their preferences, but 12 seems old enough for any of this (if they’re reading Asimov)

I was disappointed in interstellar (but it is a beautiful movie) just dumb in a lot of ways and the “but what above love” subplot really annoyed me.

I’d give gravity an honorable mention. The director’s other movie Children of Men is one of my favorites but doesn’t really qualify as scifi.

For shows, the expanse is probably the best recent thing.

I’m not sure if Super8 qualifies, but I think that’s a generally underrated movie.

Arrival and Children of men are also both in the rare category where the film is better than the source material.

I also forgot about district 9 which I haven’t seen in years, but remember being good.

[ahoho]

I think that if OP finds The Matrix too adult, Ex Machina is even less appropriate.

Her is a good recommendation but I struggle to imagine a 12 year old identifying well with alienated-middle-aged-man-malaise ;) (although I loved Lost in Translation at 14 or so)

Arrival is a great recommendation. I had some quibbles with its science, but it’s good Sci Fi. Then he can introduce him to Ted Chiang’s other writing

[gonehome]

Ex Machina has some nudity, but less gun violence? It’s a lot more idea driven than action/violence driven (matrix). And the themes are different. Depends on what people culturally mean as adult I suppose.

[bawolff]

Its been a while, but isn't the main theme sexual slavery? I could understand why people consider that adult.

[apecat]

I admittedly don't have kids, but media is so saturated and oversexualized that I personally feel that thought-provoking fiction that dissects and critiques urges is possible and good to explore at some point, in safe company, ammended with brief discussion. I'm certainly thankful I got offered these conversations.

That said, Ex Machina might be a little intense in that regard, even though I seem to remember that the explicity is mostly some nudity. It's a great movie, but probably not the first or fifth I would show a 12-year-old with the above discursive parameters included. The themes of corruption and "fucking around and finding out" are so heavy that you don't want to just leave a child with it.

It could be your tenth pick, though, or perhaps something for 6-18 months on of successfully watching and discussing movies and their depiction of life in an open way.

[gonehome]

Not really? Main theme is a general intelligence that’s not aligned with you may trick or deceive you.

[js2]

Not sure about Ex Machina for a 12 y/o:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/parentalguide

I also seem to recall that Her was thematically aimed at adults.

[Pigalowda]

Wasn’t there any entire scene where he jerks off while she talks dirty to him? Maybe I’m misremembering or its another movie.

[js2]

Parents Guide for Her:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/parentalguide

OP should probably consult the IMDB Parents Guide for all of these. Everyone has their own ideas about what's okay for kids and what's not.

[gonehome]

I was confused about the movie you were talking about - in “her” yeah there’s this scene, but the screen is black (and it’s more uncomfortable than anything else).

Parent can always watch first. 12yo is middle school right? 8th grade? I doubt this would be a 12yr olds first exposure to this kind of thing (and the context of the movie’s story is not a bad place for it).

Rereading the OPs request they mention “adult language” in the matrix so you’re probably right that my recs won’t be a good fit.

[emedchill]

Ex Machina is rated R. It's a great movie but the language, nudity, and sexual content might not be appropriate for a 12 year old.

[throwawaysalome]

Your 12yo will look at Asian chicks a lot differently after Ex Machina.

[kgodey]

I haven't seen these mentioned yet: Galaxy Quest, The Fifth Element, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Oblivion, Tron: Legacy, Mission to Mars, Pacific Rim, Bicentennial Man, Alita: Battle Angel (some of these may be PG-13)

Treasure Planet and Titan A.E. are also good animated movies, although Treasure Planet is more science-fantasy.

I'd also second Back to the Future, Contact, Interstellar, Gattaca, October Sky

[jackothy]

I think Tron: Legacy, Pacific Rim, and Alita: Battle Angel should all be great for any 12-year-old. High-concept (12-year-old me loved the "what if?" question), lots of action, and not too adult. Great suggestions.

I think some of the other ones like Oblivion, Contact, and Gattaca might be a bit too dry/subtle/pondering (depending on exactly how tedious he found 2001 to be).

[bawolff]

> He found 2001: space odyssey kind of slow and tedious

So do most adults. That and bladerunner are probably the two slowest sci fi movies in the canon (i love them, but they are high effort watches). Maybe literally anything else.

That said, i'd suggest trying to find out what aspect of the books he reads that he likes and go from there. We all read books for different things, and it helps to know what parts the kid likes.

Maybe the expanse tv show is a safe bet (i thought it was better than the books, but that is just me)

If he really likes the unitended technical consequences aspect of asimov, primer might be good, although the plot is very complicated. Predestination is also good.

[js2]

> That and bladerunner are probably the two slowest sci fi movies in the canon

Silent Running: hold my beer.

(I say this with love for Silent Running and Blade Runner. I find 2001 to be the hardest one to watch.)

[darksofa]

Don't know if you want to make a distinction between Science Fiction and Science Fantasy.

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

The War of the Worlds (1953)

Contact (1997)

Back To The Future (1995)

Logan's Run (1976)

Soylent Green (1973)

Solaris (1972)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Tron (1982)

ET (1982)

Fantastic Voyage (1966)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Apollo 13 (1995)

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)

Armageddon (1998)

The Omega Man (1971)

The Quiet Earth (1985)

WarGames (1983)

When Worlds Collide (1951)

Independence Day (1996)

Earth vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)

The Thing from Another World (1951) -- "Keep watching the skies!"

Invaders from Mars (1953)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Rocketship X-M (1950); Osa Massen wow!

The Brain from Planet Arous (1957)

Finally two of the very best Disney comedies:

The Abscent-Minded Professor (1961); "Hey Neptune, why don't you just submerge!"

Son of Flubber (1963)

[xtiansimon]

Day the Earth Stood Still and Forbidden Planet are ‘required’. Haha. Robinson Crusoe on Mars is great.

The Black Hole is a Disney movie.

How about some TV?

Classic: Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, need I mention, Star Trek?

Current: Lost in Space, …

(Yikes. If 2001 is slow and boring, Solaris (1972) is watching paint dry. Sheesh)

… age appropriate is difficult, ahaha. You could also try your local library, the might have DVDs of TV shows and staff usually have kids section, and classics separate.

[darkhorse13]

Contact (1997) is one of my favorite films of all time. I watched it as a teenager for the first time, so that would be my recommendation.

[gonehome]

This is one where Sagan’s book has the opposite conclusion.

In the book a team of international people are selected to go (rather than just one) and it ends with them doing science to gather evidence to prove their story (whereas the movie ends with an emotional speech about accepting her story “on faith”)

[mcphage]

> If people continue to abuse these terms, they are watering down important terms for something that is really, really harmful.

The book has a lot of characters with weak connections together. The movie has fewer characters, more strongly connected. I think it's one of the few cases where the movie is better than the book—they're still both excellent, however.

[lathiat]

Can't speak to movies but at this age I loved Star Trek Voyager. Lots of episodic episodes facing real issues/moral decisions.. insightful.

[qchris]

You could probably make this case for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Enterprise as well. TNG and Voyager probably fall closer into the "highly-episodic" category, while DS9 and Enterprise tend to be structured around larger ongoing plot lines. I think they all have the same kind of merit as Voyager with regards to discussions about issues and moral decisions.

Depending on the 11-year-old, you might be able to make a case for Seth Macfarlane's The Orville, which can be a bit more hit-and-miss, but does have some truly excellent episodes, particularly in Season 3.

The newer Star Trek series coming out are probably too gritty if the parent is worried about age-appropriateness (I believe Picard has a TV-MA rating?) and unless you really like The Original Series, it's pretty noticeably a product of its age and I personally had trouble staying engaged by it when I was that age.

[MonkeyMalarky]

Start Trek Prodigy is aimed at kids and not bad either.

[kyriakos]

I actually find it very interesting as an adult. It's obviously aimed at kids but the story is not bad considering other current star trek series (discovery in particular)

[MonkeyMalarky]

While it isn't sci-fi, it'd probably be right up their alley: October Sky.

[richajak]

Free Guy, story line is similar to Matrix, however it is a much better execution, plus it is a kids-friendly movie (no bad words, depressing topic, etc)

[jackothy]

Free Guy might work, but I would consider just saving the whole simulation concept for whenever he is old enough for The Matrix, or other AI movies such as Her and Blade Runner. Free Guy is quite lazy with the Hollywood tropes. Lazy might be fine when he hasn't seen that many movies yet, but still I would prioritize watching something "better" (many other good suggestions here).

[dahart]

> He found 2001: space odyssey kind of slow and tedious

Oh man, have you rewatched it lately? I had very fond memories of 2001, like I’m sure many people here, but I watched it again and found it slow and tedious and then some. The first act with the apes and wailing operatic singing went on forever. The stuff on the moon is forgettable. I was really surprised to find out that everything I remember about the movie, where they’re near Jupiter, starts halfway through. The ending is so weird I’d forgotten most it that too. There’s no question about 2001’s influence and place in movie history, but by today’s film standards, for kids who are used to modern film, 2001 is harder to appreciate. Or I don’t know, I looked up the critical reception and maybe it was then too… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(film)#R...

I have made the mistake of showing my kids films that I loved from my childhood way too many times. It has backfired and made my kids not want to watch movies with me, and most of the time they’re right and the films I loved just aren’t that good by today’s standards. My youngest is also afraid of watching space movies, especially with me, because I liked a lot of them and maybe started trying to show him when we was too young. The quality of films and shows has gone up, though, and my kids helped me see it. Once I completely stopped pushing the movies I liked, the kids started sometimes finding them on their own, but they also show me movies they live that I wouldn’t have considered. It is also surprising how often movies I like haven’t aged well in terms of social dynamics, my kids are fairly sensitive to mildly racist or sexist dialogue, and there’s more than we remember from movies made in the 70s-90s.

Sci fi movies my kids have loved: Villeneuve’s Dune, The Last Mimzy, A Wrinkle in Time (non-Disney version), Tomorrowland, Cowboy Bebop (anime), Interstellar, Arrival, FLCL, Donnie Darko, Inception, Blade Runner 2049, WarGames, Serial Experiments Lain (warning heavy death themes) … Will add more as I remember

[apecat]

There's a lot of great picks here, such as Gattaca, Man from Earth, Contact, The Matrix, Wall-E, Children of Men, The Fifth Element, 12 Monkeys. I would add Truman Show.

Depending on the individual and their patience, Primer (2004) might also be a great fit. The pace is a bid subdued but thematically, it's mind bending. I don't think it includes anything particularly awkward as an early scifi movie to watch together with your own child. I would probably start with one of the spectacles from the above picks, though.

[emedchill]

The Martian, Men in Back, Jurassic Park, Stargate, Minority Report

[tdubhro1]

Minority Report is 15+ in some places, the climactic “crime” deals with some pretty heavy themes as I recall

[emedchill]

It's rated PG-13...

[Zurrrrr]

He said in some places. Countries have different rating systems and PG-13 doesn't exist in many.

[jackothy]

First some that I don't see mentioned here yet:

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Limitless (2011)

Looper (2012)

Upgrade (2018)

Source Code (2011)

District 9 (2009)

Black Mirror S3E2: "Playtest", S4E1: "USS Callister"

The 7 minute YouTube video "Slaughterbots"[1]

The YouTube series The Backrooms[2]

If you are worried about your son hearing swear words and seeing blood, and not just whether or not he will be able to understand/appreciate the movie, then you probably want to wait with a couple of those.

And then I would also agree with those here that mention Inception, Interstellar, Back to the Future, The Martian, Men in Black, Minority Report, The Terminator, Terminator 2, and The Expanse. I also don't think he should have much of a problem following along with The Matrix.

[1]: https://youtu.be/O-2tpwW0kmU [2]: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVAh-MgDVqvDUEq6qDXqORBio...

[hairofadog]

This is a list of really good movies! But if OP thinks The Matrix is too spicy I think a lot of these will be too much for sure.

[jackothy]

Very true. I can see that Edge of Tomorrow, Limitless, and Source Code are all PG-13, so he might want to start with those.

Edit: At the same time I feel like these suggestions (including the R-rated ones) are all wonderfully simple, understandable, yet though-provoking and constantly entertaining. Perfect for anyone that finds 2001 to be a slow and tedious movie. I would really want to trust that it's safe for anyone to watch these as long as they have an adult next to them, and someone they can talk about the movie with after.

[kyriakos]

Edge of tomorrow has some gore scenes if I remember correctly.

[Zurrrrr]

Limitless is more fantasy than sci-fi IMO.

[jackothy]

The details aren't really fleshed out scientifically, I will certainly grant you that. However, I think just the very concept of a drug/medicine/some sort of thing that can make you very smart is very relevant to real life. We are approaching breakthroughs in gene editing, brain-computer interfaces, and simulated people (AIs) that will lead to a scenario in some ways similar to Limitless. Sudden leaps in human intelligence will happen. I find Limitless to be a fairly interesting exploration of "What would I do if I suddenly could make myself a lot smarter?".

One of the main traits of good Sci-Fi in my opinion is that it leaves you with questions like these to ponder.

[Zurrrrr]

It's specifically the idea that it is based on the idea that we only use 10% of our brains, which is utter bunk. I can't see it as anything but fantasy because of that.

I agree the idea of a drug that could turn us into super intelligent beings is an interest concept to ponder, and agree with you about good sci-fi and what it leaves you with. For Limitless I just can't get past the specific premise they wanted to use.

[jackothy]

Oh yes I forgot they mentioned that 10% thing, and yes it does make me cringe a bit too. I remember thinking when I was 12 that it sounded quite cool, though. Anyways, a huge chunk of Sci-Fi stories (good ones too) have these little kernels of BS that you just have to get past.

[Zurrrrr]

I'm older I guess because I saw that in my 20s and couldn't take it seriously. Agree a lot of sci-fi might have something like that though and I would have been more forgiving of stuff when I was younger, and was for stuff I did like when I was younger also.

[ewjt]

These are all generally highly reviewed can lead to interesting discussions:

Gattaca - interesting take on genetics/DNA discrimination

Europa - hard science fiction, maybe a bit slow for a 12 year old

The Net - older movie but the concept of digital exile resonates today

City of Ember - post apocalyptic civilization that lives deep underground

First Man - dramatization of Neil Armstrong and the first moon landing (not realy "fiction")

Arrival - first contact situation, tastefully done

Contact - another first contact situation that explores how politics, skepticism, and fanaticism react

The Martian - easily as fun as the book

The Prestige - competing magicians in an industrial age setting

The Hunger Games - extreme class divide in a future setting

Jurassic Park - the original not the sequels

Stargate - wormhole travel to another planet (be careful with the TV shows though, SG1 on streaming has full frontal nudity and "not ok" scenes which were obviously not on the broadcast version and a total shock when we watched it as a family)

District 9 - has some graphic gore and language, so it might be 14+, but is an interesting look at aliens as refugees

Contagion - a look at how a pandemic could play out. Premiered before COVID.

The Maze Runner - interesting setting and look at group dynamics

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids - fun setting

The Village - scary movie with a sci fi twist

Galaxy Quest - comedy

Short Circuit - old movie that deals with AI sentience

Innerspace - another old one, but has some fun concepts

[gomijacogeo]

"2010: The Year We Make Contact" is a much more accessible movie that holds up pretty well. It also feels like a payoff after investing so much time being confused/bored by 2001.

I was 11 when "Logan's Run" came out. Yes it's kinda loaded with 70's sex tropes for the first act, but it's also equal parts goofy and a really good film.

The original "The Day The Earth Stood Still" holds up.

"A Boy and His Dog" is a bit crude here and there, but might resonate with a 12yo.

"Quatermass and the Pit" (aka "Five Million Years to Earth") is both intense and fairly tame.

A lot of old TV series hold up - Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, UFO, Space 1999, Star Trek TOS, etc all have some excellent episodes.

I absolutely love "Dark City" and "12 Monkeys" but I'm not sure they'd have held my interest at 12.

Doctor Who, both old and new are excellent. Though I'm partial to the Tom Baker era.

The Stargate franchise is pretty good.

"Moon" (2009) is a bit cerebral but a good SF story.

[tomduncalf]

Interstellar is rated 12, and I think it’s enjoyable regardless of how much of the science you understand

[hellisothers]

My 9yo has seen Interstellar 4 times and if asked will tell you it’s his favorite movie before you can finish the question. Strong recommend if OP’s kid hasn’t seen it yet.

[js2]

A lot of recency bias in the suggestions. Here's some which are older or more obscure that I enjoyed and that I wouldn't have minded showing my kids at 12.

Gattaca, Moon, Gravity, Contact, Space Camp, Andromeda Strain, the original Westworld (1973), the first two Star Trek movies, the STTNG TV series, Another Earth (2011, PG-13), The Man from Earth, Fantastic Voyage, War of the Worlds (1953), The Day the Earth Stood Still, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

[ahoho]

In its defense, I saw The Matrix at 12 or 13 and adored it because I felt like it was something more serious—-that I could appreciate it was a sign I was maturing, and I was grateful for that

Of course all kids are different. I always loved the Back to The Future movies from a young age. Moon is also harder fare while being less violent than The Matrix.

You might also enjoy watching the modern Doctor Who together? Or Star Trek?

As for more books, maybe introduce him to Hitchhikers Guide?

[veganjay]

Ghostbusters, Back to the Future

[MopMop]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Machine_(1960_film)

The Time Machine starring Rod Taylor is a charming film from Nineteen Sixty based on the HG Wells book of the same name from 1895. Might not be a bad idea for your 12 year old to read the book too, only perhaps after watching the movie.

[ryandvm]

Man From Earth. Surprisingly all three of my kids were riveted to this sci-fi bottle movie. And the youngest was 10 or so at the time.

[offsky]

Over the pandemic I created a website to solve a very similar problem for finding appropriate movies for my kids.

https://www.movienight.tips/

Click through to the list of movies and then add a genre filter for sci-fi. You can further filter by rating, popularity or maturity level as desired. Enjoy!

[offsky]

Here is a quick deep link to 80s and 90s sci-fi movies for 12 and unders. Sorted by popularity.

https://www.movienight.tips/movies.php?m=1&start=1980&end=19...

[knbknb]

Colossal (2016) is a fun, underrated sci-fi movie featuring an alcoholic young woman impersonating a city-destroying fighter robot.

[RobotToaster]

Mobile Suit Gundam, Patlabor, Space Battleship Yamato, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Tenchi Muyo, Neon Genesis Evangelion.

[barbariangrunge]

Demolition Man is foundational to growing up and having good taste in movies

See also: Star Trek the next generation (series)

[louwhopley]

Asa Butterfield plays in a few sci-fi films that might be fun for that age:

- Ender’s game

- Space between us

Also:

- Ready player one (book is way better, but nonetheless)

[webmaven]

E. T.

*Batteries Not Included

Back to the Future trilogy

Flight of the Navigator

The Last Starfighter

Honey, I shrunk the kids

Short Circuit 1 and 2

Teen Wolf

Ghostbusters 1 and 2

Big

InnerSpace

Gremlins 1 and 2

The Iron Giant

Little Shop of Horrors

Willow

Labyrinth

The Dark Crystal

Enemy Mine

Cocoon

[js2]

I can viscerally remember seeing the The Last Starfighter as a 13 y/o. I have avoided ever re-watching it because I know it's not going to be nearly as good as an adult. I've already ruined some of the others on the list by re-watching them, though a bunch of those still hold up.

But um.... Teen Wolf? The best I can say is Michael J. Fox did the best he could with it.

I think maybe Tron and The Black Hole would slot nicely into your list.

[BaseballPhysics]

Why do I feel like we're close to the same age...

[kyriakos]

Most of star trek is appropriate for a 12 year old. We watch TNG and DS9 with my 10 year old son, he seems to enjoy them, but needs some explaining at times (especially with DS9). The original star trek movies are good too, no gore, and full of positive messages.

[SimianLogic]

Ghost in the Shell, Sunshine, Children of Men, 12 Monkeys, Edge of Tomorrow, Moon

The Expanse show/books are great

I’m waiting til 13 for Akira

Mine is 11 and matrix, terminator, back to the future, arrival were all too slow. He liked the Jurassic Park books but the movie was “too hokey.”

[abudabi123]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nausicaä_of_the_Valley_of_the_...

1984 Nausicaä — The original version released in Japan. The version released to the US market is unkind to the original. The hound dog face mask seen in the anime was appropriate for surviving the pandemic.

[justsomehnguy]

GitS for 11 y/o?

A bit too early, IMO, a not because Major's tits, but because besides a nice artwork it would be a dull, slow, non-sensical film with 99% of the plot over the head because 11 y/o doesn't know yet and doesn't know how to process that.

But while we are here, I would advise Violet Evergarden then, it's rough sometimes, but for a kid who already seen GitS I doubt it would be a problem. It's very beautiful both visually and story wise. And watch past the credits, ffs.

[apecat]

I watched Terminator (1984) around that age, perhaps a year younger. It's not great science fiction, but I still like it quite a bit for the drab, claustrophobic atmosphere, with brief "light horror" sequences, which were a perfect age-appropriate fit for me at the time. At that point I also quite enjoyed action sequences with heavy 70s-80s American body-on-frame sedans getting wrecked.

The basic premise is based on James Cameron having a fever dream after all, and it shows in all the best ways when the concept isn't overdeveloped into a family comedy drama like T2. T2 is great, massive cinema in its own right but I feel the entire Terminator concept, time travel and all, falls apart the more you think about it. A dusky, gritty, fast-paced thriller is a better avenue for the concept.

T1's run time is also admirably brief, at just over 90 minutes.

[uberman]

Enders Game might fit the bill

[orasis]

Best to read the book before watching the film.

[currymj]

The recent Dune movie is excellent and is rated PG-13. Same with Gattaca.

[Fire-Dragon-DoL]

Interstellar, the Martian and Gravity are my three "Kerbal Space Program" pillars. I wouldn't consider them scifi even though they are. More like "close future"

[MrDresden]

I get the sense that you would like some adult themes, but not too slow?

edit: Adult themes is here meant in non sexual manner. Still, I've removed two suggestions that in hindsight would not be good for someone his age to watch.

edit2: Re-reading OP I now realize I misread it. Matrix was not shown because of adult themes. Some in this list still fit, but most will involve themes perhaps outside the scope of what OP is seeking. All of them are great however and deal with some aspect of humanity I would think a young viewer would benefit from seeing.

Top of my mind (and in no specific order) would be:

- Dark City

- The Thirteenth Floor

- City of the Lost Children

- Tron (original and maybe new one)

- Interstellar

- Inception

- Her (very relevant to our times)

- Dune (2021 version)

- Brazil

- The Martian

- Children of Men

- Edge of Tomorrow (most like Marvelverse on this list but still very good)

- Moon

- Twelve Monkeys

- Upgrade

- The Fifth Element

- Contact

- Okja

- District 9

- Predestination (very relevant to our times)

- Serenity (but might need some prep from the tv show before watching)

- World on a Wire

- The Abyss

- Minority Report (very relevant in our times)

- The Fly

- Equilibrium

- Strange Days

- The Andromeda Strain (relevant after Covid)

- eXistenZ (trippy but I loved it when it came out and was only around your sons age)

- In Time (interesting class dynamics on display)

- Enemy Mine

- Franklyn (some interesting takes on mental illness)

- The Arrival

[PopAlongKid]

>you would like some adult themes

I read just the opposite. "Strange Days", as one example on your list, is not one I would recommend for a 12 year old.

[MrDresden]

Re-reading OPs post I now see I misread it. Parsed it as Matrix having been shown due to the adult themes.

[TrueGeek]

Maybe not Clockwork Orange if OP is trying to avoid adult themes...

[MonkeyMalarky]

Also Videodrome.. snuff films / torture porn are literally a plot point.

[MrDresden]

Yeah you are both correct, had completely forgotten those aspects of them.

Have clarified what I meant and removed those two.

[broast]

They showed is Gattaca in school around that age, for some reason.

[lerigner]

Not a movie, but my kid really enjoyed the 28 episodes of the ‘Lost in Space’ TV series on Netflix. It’s rated 7+ but in my opinion 7 is too young. 12 should be perfect.

[MollyRealized]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorers_(film)

[jaclaz]

Maybe something less "other worlds"?

These should all be suited to a 12 years old, though of course it is up to you:

Back to the future (1, 2 and 3), Time after Time (1979), Gattaca

[dsr_]

Every kid is different and every parent is different.

At 12, I found most horror movies silly or disgusting rather than horrifying. But ALIEN and ALIENS are both great. A few scenes from THE TERMINATOR were disturbing, but it's a good story and TERMINATOR 2 is very good. PREDATOR wasn't for me at 12, but certainly was at 14.

THE TRUMAN SHOW, THE MARTIAN, BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, THE INVENTION OF LYING are all well-made, entertaining, and should be thought-provoking.

[tzs]

Lilo & Stitch.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.

Time After Time.

Those are all rated PG so should be reasonably OK for a 12 year old.

[ashwagary]

Galaxy Quest is a scifi Star Trek parody kids that age love. Not too serious but still interesting.

[PopAlongKid]

Fantastic Voyage, starring the late Raquel Welch, based on Asimov book. Good for any 12-year old boy.

[wallstprog]

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

[brg]

Contact, The Martian, The Andromeda Strain, and to a very large extent Jurassic Park.

[nickthegreek]

What about tv shows? The new Star Trek: Prodigy is made for a younger audience.

[amatic]

E.T., Flight of the navigator, Ender's game,

[tomohawk]

Buckaroo Bonzai

[browningstreet]

Apollo 10 12: A Space Age Childhood

The last star fighter

[Zurrrrr]

If he likes Asimov he might like more philosophical/political stuff.

-

Maybe stuff like:

The Time Travelers Wife

Raised by Wolves

Gattica

12 Monkeys

Coherence

Solaris

Artificial Intelligence

Donnie Darko

Minority Report

Needle In A Timestack

Pandorum

Synchronic

[mxuribe]

Synchronic is one of those sleeper movies, where the first viewing is ok/not bad....but - for me - i like it more every time that i see it!

[Zurrrrr]

I was hooked the firs time I saw it, but I love time travel and like the movies the other guys who made that made. I also like that it was a very small scoped movie in that it was basically one guy doing experiments in trying to figure something out.

It isn't an action movie but might be right up the alley of a kid who reads Asimov, at least it would have been up my alley as a kid when I was reading Asimov.

[mxuribe]

> ...I love time travel

Same here!

>... like the movies the other guys who made that made.

Hmmm, i hadn't thought to look up other movies that these guys made. Good tip, thanks!

> ...it was a very small scoped movie in that it was basically one guy doing experiments in trying to figure something out...

Yeah, i think you hit on one of the reasons that i liked this film (but you stated it more succinctly)...it was certainly smaller scope, but it did not feel cheap to me. And now, i have to look into other movies from these guys! :-)

[Zurrrrr]

Just a note, but the movies from the other guys are a bit different Resolution and the Endless are more lovecraftian (which is why I got into them). Something in the dirt is similar to synchronic but I didn't like it as much, and it's done in a more documentary style. Only one I've still to see is Spring which is a horror/love story.

Needle in a Haystack is also a great timetravel movie IMO, and it is unlike any I've seen before. I really recommend that if you like time travel. It's focused around a romance but it works really well.

[mxuribe]

Awesome, thanks so much for the recommendations!

[yasp]

Blade Runner

[bawolff]

Umm,if you're looking for something a 12 year old would find non tedious, maybe not bladerunner.

Edit: and to be clear i say that as someone who loves bladerunner. But its a very artsy movie, and it would take a really dedicated 12 year old to appreciate. Not to mention if you think the matrix is not age appropriate...

[jordanreger]

even though i'm a massive blade runner fan, it is most certainly not appropriate for kids whatsoever

[zxexz]

Huh, I guess there are certain aspects of it that may be too edgy for a 12 year old. I had first seen by the time I was 12 or 13, and it left me with a lot to think about in a good way. Watching Blade Runner with a parent who can talk through the themes could be a wonderful activity for a twelve year old. The Final Cut, of course.

[bigbacaloa]

It's fine for kids. What is wrong with people?

[plugin-baby]

Also

* Event Horizon * Terminator 1 & 2

[logical_proof]

Event horizon and terminator 1 are more horror than sci fi

[djkivi]

Wall-E

Children of Men

Planet of the Apes

[trebligdivad]

Silent Running?

[1970-01-01]

E.T.

[dopeboy]

Gattaca