Is Safety on Disney+ Kid Friendly? Parents Guide

Wondering if SAFETY is ok for kids? SAFETY is Disney+’s newest sports movie based on the true story of a Clemson Tigers Football player, Ray McElrathbey. Rated PG for language and some references to addiction, here’s what parents need to know in this SAFETY Parents Guide.

Is Safety Kid Friendly?

Safety is a drama inspired by the empowering story of former Clemson University football safety Ray McElrathbey (Jay Reeves), a young man facing a series of challenging circumstances. When his 11-year-old brother Fahmarr (Thaddeus J. Mixson) will have to go into Foster Care while their mother goes into rehab, Ray decides to be a pseudo-guardian to Fahmarr and hide him on campus to take care of him.

However, that comes with many oppositions – Ray’s demanding football practice schedule, keeping up with studies, getting Fahmarr to school, and trying not to lose his scholarship or get kicked out of school. Will the Clemson community step up for him? 

Here’s what parents should know about Safety. 

Language 

Safety is light on language, but does use the words damn and hell. 

Mature Content

There are emotional moments that may be tough for young kids. Ray is under a lot of pressure and loses his temper and yells at Fahmarr, while his teammates tell him to calm down. 

There’s a tense scene where Ray returns home and we get a glimpse of the poverty and hard environment he grew up in. 

Ray and Fahmarr’s mother is in jail, and they talk about her addiction to drugs. 

Some college kids are seen with implied drinking and red cups in their hands. 

Two characters flirt with each other and kind of date. 

Is Safety Appropriate for Kids Under 10?

Overall, Safety is a family friendly movie that is appropriate for most ages and would recommend it for kids over 10. Younger kids could also watch depending on whether they would be interested in the story and could handle some of the emotional heaviness of the topics.

As I watched Safety, different points of view of my background effected how I was watching. I used to be a CPS Worker who would remove children from the custody of their parents for reasons like incarceration or drug abuse. Also, I am the mother of several athletes who have ambitions of playing college sports. And I’m a huge sports fan.

Safety tugged at the right heartstrings and eventually got to the payoff, but it took so long to get there. The first half felt so slow, and yet I still wanted more story. I wanted to connect with Ray and Fahmarr from the get-go, but it took some time, and that wasn’t because of the actors. 

Why tell Ray-Ray’s story? The Directors answer this question during the Safety virtual press junket.

Perhaps I wanted more sports in a sports movie, because those shots of a packed stadium at a game gave me chills. But Disney simplified it, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s a preference. While sometimes Safety feels like a Clemson commercial, it also taught me that we don’t always need a come-back win or some huge dramatic sports moment to make it a sports movie.

Is it contradictory to yell MOAR story, but also make it quick? Yeah, probably. 

Athletes are people first. And when community comes together, we can make a difference. Safety is an inspiring story that proves there is more to athletes and sports programs than the sport itself. 

Safety is now streaming on Disney+!