Ad Astra

Parents need to know that Ad Astra is a stunning, thoughtful sci-fi drama starring Brad Pitt. The title is Latin for "through hardships to the stars," and while the film has all the trappings of a great space adventure, space travel is just the setting. This is really the emotional odyssey of a man who's trying to make peace with his conflicted feelings about his father (Tommy Lee Jones) -- and therefore it's not especially likely to entertain most teens. Still, Pitt's character, Major Roy McBride, is an admirable man -- courageous, calm, and thoughtful -- who's living in a future where it appears that race, gender, and age have equal professional footing. Sci-fi action includes guns, moon battles with explosions, solar flares, and other things that might go wrong in space, including a jarring animal attack that isn't shown but has gruesome results (which are shown). Characters die, including via a brief but intense/disturbing head explosion due to pressure issues. Much of the sound is muted through the quiet of a spacesuit, so this may be a good choice for those with audio sensitivities. Faith-focused families will appreciate elements such as prayer and positive acknowledgements of God's presence in the universe. Strong language is used sparingly but includes "hell" and "goddamn" and a possible use of "f--king."