Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 masterpiece isn’t your typical historical drama. It’s loud. It’s sweaty. It’s incredibly intense. If you’re looking at a There Will Be Blood parents guide, you probably already know that Daniel Day-Lewis puts on a clinic in terrifying ambition as Daniel Plainview. But knowing a movie is "intense" doesn't really help when you're trying to decide if it's appropriate for a 14-year-old or if the "Blood" in the title is literal or metaphorical.
Honestly? It's both.
The film is rated R, and for good reason. While it lacks the constant profanity of a Scorsese flick or the sexual content of a standard prestige drama, its psychological weight is massive. This is a movie about the rot of the soul. It’s about a man who chooses oil over his own son. That kind of thematic darkness often hits harder than a few jump scares or a fistfight.
The Violence is Sparse but Brutal
You might expect a movie called There Will Be Blood to be a slasher. It isn’t. Most of the film is spent watching men dig holes in the dirt or argue about land rights in New Cuyama. However, when the violence does arrive, it is sudden, jarring, and often quite messy.
There are workplace accidents. Since this is the early 1900s, "OSHA" wasn't a thing. You see a heavy wooden drill bit fall and crush a man. You see a gas blowout that leads to a character losing their hearing—a scene that is incredibly disorienting because the sound design drops out completely to mimic the character's perspective. It’s effective and, frankly, a little traumatizing for younger viewers who aren't prepared for the sensory shift.
Then there is the final act. If you’ve heard people quoting "I drink your milkshake," you’re hearing the lead-up to the film's most violent outburst. It involves a bowling pin. It is blunt-force trauma. It’s not "fun" movie violence; it’s desperate, pathetic, and ugly.
Language and The "R" Rating
Surprisingly, the script is relatively clean compared to most R-rated films. You won’t find a barrage of F-bombs here. Daniel Plainview is a man of precise words. He uses language as a weapon, but he doesn't usually rely on vulgarity to do it.
The rating mostly stems from the sheer oppressive tone and the few instances of "brief strong violence." Parents should know that the "strong language" listed in most ratings guides refers more to the intensity of the delivery than the specific words used. When Plainview screams at Eli Sunday, the local preacher, it feels more "adult" than any curse word could.
Religious Conflict and Psychological Intensity
This is where the There Will Be Blood parents guide gets tricky. The core of the movie is a war between oil (capitalism) and the church (religion). Paul Dano plays Eli Sunday, a charismatic, perhaps manipulative, young preacher. The scenes in the Church of the Third Revelation involve "healings" and exorcisms that look like manic episodes.
For some families, the portrayal of religion might be the most "offensive" part. Eli is depicted as a hypocrite; Daniel is depicted as an atheist who views the church as a tool for leverage. They scream at each other. They slap each other. They humiliate each other in front of congregations. If you are sensitive to cynical depictions of faith, this movie is going to be a tough sit.
A Quick Breakdown of Sensitive Content:
- Sexual Content: Almost zero. There’s a vague mention of a character being a "pederast," which is a heavy word that might require explanation for a teen.
- Alcohol/Smoking: Constant. It’s 1911. Everyone is drinking whiskey and smoking pipes. Plainview’s descent into alcoholism is a major plot point toward the end.
- Animal Cruelty: There is a scene involving a dead coyote, and some talk of hunting, but nothing that feels gratuitous.
Is it Okay for Teens?
Most 15 or 16-year-olds who are interested in film as an art form will be fine. In fact, they’ll probably find it fascinating. The "boredom factor" is actually a bigger risk than the "trauma factor" for younger kids. It’s over two and a half hours long. It has long stretches with no dialogue—just Jonny Greenwood’s jarring, dissonant orchestral score.
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However, if your child is sensitive to father-son conflict, proceed with caution. The relationship between Daniel and his son, H.W., is the emotional core of the film. Watching Daniel abandon the boy or use him as a "pretty face" to sell oil wells is genuinely heartbreaking. It’s a study in narcissism.
Understanding the "Milkshake" Scene
By the time you get to the end, the movie has shifted from a historical drama into something closer to a horror film. The setting moves from the dusty oil fields to a massive, lonely mansion. The isolation is palpable.
The famous "milkshake" scene is a masterclass in acting, but it’s also a depiction of a total mental breakdown. Daniel is drunk, wealthy, and completely alone. He has won, but he has lost everything that makes him human. For a parent, this is a great "teaching moment" about greed, but for a kid, it might just look like a scary old man losing his mind.
The physical struggle at the very end is short but very graphic. There is blood (as promised). It pools on the floor of a bowling alley. It’s a very cold, clinical ending. There’s no hero. No one to root for.
Practical Advice for Parents
If you’re planning a family movie night, maybe don't lead with this one unless your kids are already fans of "slow cinema." But if you have a high-schooler who is into history or drama, it’s an essential watch.
Here is how to handle the viewing:
Watch for the silence. The first 15 minutes of the movie have almost no talking. Use that time to see if your teen is actually engaged or just scrolling on their phone. If they can’t handle the opening, the rest of the 158 minutes will be a struggle.
Talk about the "Why." After the movie ends, ask them what they thought about Daniel’s relationship with H.W. Was Daniel ever a "good" dad? Did he ever love the boy, or was he just a prop? This shifts the focus from the violence to the character study, which is where the real value of the film lies.
Prepare for the score. Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead fame) wrote the music. It’s not "pretty." It’s screechy and percussive. It’s designed to make you feel anxious. Tell your kids this beforehand so they don't think something is wrong with the speakers.
Ultimately, the There Will Be Blood parents guide boils down to this: the film is a brutal, honest look at the darker side of the American Dream. It’s not "inappropriate" in the sense of being "dirty," but it is deeply cynical. If your family prefers stories with clear moral lessons and happy endings, this is absolutely not the movie for you. But if you want to see one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema and talk about the cost of ambition, it's a must-watch.
To make the most of the experience, check the technical specs of your streaming version; the cinematography by Robert Elswit is best viewed in 4K to catch the detail in the dark, oil-soaked night scenes. Once finished, comparing the film to its source material—Upton Sinclair's novel Oil!—can provide a fascinating look at how stories are adapted for the screen, specifically how the film strips away the book's political complexity to focus on a singular, monstrous personality.