What we flagged
View all categories
Our take
Juniper is a character drama where a suspended teen is stuck looking after his alcoholic grandmother. Strong language, heavy drinking, cannabis, and frank sexual moments appear, and a suicide attempt sequence is shown. Grief for a parent runs underneath the jokes. We land at 16 and up because the suicide imagery and teen substance use need older teens with support
Uplifting themes
An unlikely bond softens two hard people and nudges the teen toward care again. Connection is offered as a messy way through damage, not a neat lesson Grandmother and grandson eventually show loyalty under pressure and illness. Early on both model drinking, swearing, and lashing out at the people closest to them
Story (may spoil tone)
When a self-destructive teenager is suspended from school and asked to look after his feisty alcoholic grandmother as a punishment, the crazy time they spend together turns his life around.
What we flagged
Details
Violence A teenage punch-up and a glass thrown at a grandson flash through tense…
A teenage punch-up and a glass thrown at a grandson flash through tense family moments. Hurt is real enough for a drama, without turning into sustained fight scenes
Language Strong language is common, mostly the f-word between grandmother and gr…
Strong language is common, mostly the f-word between grandmother and grandson. You will also hear the s-word, b-word, bloody, and other sharp insults
Sex / nudity A teen looks at a porn magazine and starts to masturbate before being i…
A teen looks at a porn magazine and starts to masturbate before being interrupted. Sex talk and crude remarks also crop up in the household banter
Drugs / alcohol The grandmother drinks hard, bribes with alcohol, and teens share a joi…
The grandmother drinks hard, bribes with alcohol, and teens share a joint at a party. Getting drunk is a repeated story engine, not a one-off toast
Frightening Ill health, death talk, and a dark turn in the teen's mood cast a long…
Ill health, death talk, and a dark turn in the teen's mood cast a long shadow over the household. The drama feels heavy and intimate, with no jump-scare horror tricks
Self-harm / suicide A teenager prepares for suicide and stands at the edge of an attempt. A…
A teenager prepares for suicide and stands at the edge of an attempt. Assisted dying also appears later as a heavy family beat, handled with weight and little spectacle
Bullying / discrimination Harsh insults and a discriminatory slur come from the grandmother's sha…
Harsh insults and a discriminatory slur come from the grandmother's sharp tongue. The film shows the sting of that language without treating it as okay
Gore / death / weapons A black-and-white photo briefly shows real dead bodies from wartime mem…
A black-and-white photo briefly shows real dead bodies from wartime memory. Elsewhere injury stays light next to the emotional punches of the drama
Mental health Grief and a self-destructive teen spiral sit beside an alcoholic grandp…
Grief and a self-destructive teen spiral sit beside an alcoholic grandparent who drinks through pain. Emotional repair between them is slow, sharp, and messy
Grief / bereavement A mother's death and later loss shape the boy's anger and silence at ho…
A mother's death and later loss shape the boy's anger and silence at home. The household keeps living with absence as much as with gin-soaked jokes
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
What other parents think.
Be the first family to leave a watch note.
Talk after watching
- Two damaged people start looking after each other. What helps when family care feels forced at first?
- Drinking is how several characters cope. How would you check in if someone you love was using alcohol to numb grief?
Ask ClearAge
Juniper
Ask about this guide, or name another film to open its ClearAge page.