Finding Nemo
Nemo, an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken from his Great Barrier Reef home to a dentist's office aquarium. It's up to his worrisome father Marlin and a friendly but forgetful fish Dory to bring Nemo home -- meeting vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more along the way.
Nemo, an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken from his Great Barrier Reef home to a dentist's office aquarium. Read the rest
It's up to his worrisome father Marlin and a friendly but forgetful fish Dory to bring Nemo home -- meeting vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more along the way.
Tap a marker to jump to that scene. · Nothing flagged after 1:31:43.
What the levels mean
A low rating can still include your child’s fear.
| Mark | Ages 5–7 | Ages 8–10 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 · Low | Little upset in the dialogue. | Little upset in the dialogue. |
| 1 · Mild | Brief scare, worry, or sadness. | Brief, pretend, or comic danger or sadness. |
| 2 · Strong | Chasing, being trapped or lost, or lasting fear. | Lasting danger, injury, or humiliation. |
| 3 · Very strong | An attack, a child taken, or someone dying or seeming to die. | Someone dies or seems to die, a child is taken, or family is in serious danger. |
For a 4-year-old, use 5–7; expect some scenes to feel stronger.
Not checked. The subtitles cannot tell us. It is never shown as a zero.
Filter scenes
Very strongBarracuda Attack0:03:06–0:03:42
Be ready at 0:02:36 · ends around 0:03:57
A barracuda suddenly appears and attacks the family's reef home while Marlin tries to protect Coral and their eggs.
StrongCoral Is Gone0:03:46–0:04:57
Be ready at 0:03:16 · ends around 0:05:12
Marlin wakes up and desperately searches for his wife Coral, finding only one surviving egg; he grieves and vows to protect his son.
MildPlayground Teasing About Nemo's Fin0:09:10–0:09:38
Be ready at 0:08:40 · ends around 0:09:53
Other young fish notice Nemo's small fin and say he looks funny before a classmate tells them to be nice.
StrongMarlin Scolds Nemo at the Drop Off0:12:54–0:13:40
Be ready at 0:12:24 · ends around 0:13:55
Nemo is dared by classmates to swim into the open water, and Marlin publicly yells at him in front of his peers, leading Nemo to angrily say he hates his father.
Very strongNemo Captured by Divers0:14:05–0:15:54
Be ready at 0:13:35 · ends around 0:16:09
Nemo defiantly swims out to a boat and is suddenly netted and taken by scuba divers while Marlin frantically tries to save him.
StrongMarlin's Desperate Search0:16:06–0:17:13
Be ready at 0:15:36 · ends around 0:17:28
Marlin frantically searches the open ocean calling for his missing son and breaks down before meeting Dory.
StrongBruce Smells Blood0:23:16–0:24:06
Be ready at 0:22:46 · ends around 0:24:21
After Dory is accidentally injured, the shark Bruce smells her blood and begins to lose control of his urge to eat fish.
Very strongChased Through the Minefield0:24:43–0:25:39
Be ready at 0:24:13 · ends around 0:25:54
Bruce the shark chases Marlin and Dory through old sea mines, which begin exploding around them as they try to escape.
StrongNemo Wakes Alone in the Tank0:26:25–0:27:22
Be ready at 0:25:55 · ends around 0:27:37
Nemo wakes up frightened and alone in the dentist's fish tank, crying and asking to go home before the other fish calm him down.
MildRoot Canal Commentary0:27:48–0:28:24
Be ready at 0:27:18 · ends around 0:28:39
The Tank Gang watches and comments on a human patient's root canal procedure using dental tools, with the patient yelping in discomfort.
MildDarla's Reputation with Pets0:29:19–0:29:35
Be ready at 0:28:49 · ends around 0:29:50
The Tank Gang reveals that the dentist's niece Darla accidentally killed her last pet fish, Chuckles, by shaking his bag.
MildNemo Stuck in the Décor0:29:36–0:30:33
Be ready at 0:29:06 · ends around 0:30:48
Nemo gets physically stuck inside a tank ornament and struggles to free himself while calling for help and thinking of his father.
StrongWaking Up on a Shark0:31:02–0:32:30
Be ready at 0:30:32 · ends around 0:32:45
Marlin and Dory wake up to discover they have been resting on top of a real shark and scream in fright before fleeing, losing the mask they need.
Very strongAnglerfish Attack in the Dark0:33:24–0:35:40
Be ready at 0:32:54 · ends around 0:35:55
In the pitch-black deep sea, Marlin and Dory are stalked and attacked by a monstrous anglerfish with glowing lure and sharp teeth.
MildMarlin Tries to Send Dory Away0:41:13–0:42:01
Be ready at 0:40:43 · ends around 0:42:16
Marlin tells Dory he wants to continue alone, hurting her feelings and making her cry before other fish confront him.
Very strongJellyfish Forest Peril0:45:11–0:48:11
Be ready at 0:44:41 · ends around 0:48:26
Marlin and Dory turn jumping over dangerous jellyfish into a game, but both get badly stung, with Dory losing consciousness as Marlin desperately tries to keep her awake.
StrongNemo Trapped in the Filter0:50:37–0:51:24
Be ready at 0:50:07 · ends around 0:51:39
During an escape attempt, Nemo gets caught in the tank's filter machinery and the other fish panic trying to free him.
MildMarlin Found Unconscious0:51:33–0:51:55
Be ready at 0:51:03 · ends around 0:52:10
Marlin is found washed up and unconscious by the turtle Crush, who revives him with a nudge.
MildDory Badly Hurt, Marlin's Guilt0:53:35–0:53:56
Be ready at 0:53:05 · ends around 0:54:11
Marlin finds Dory disoriented and hurt from the jellyfish stings and blames himself for what happened to her.
StrongSecond Filter Incident1:00:19–1:00:55
Be ready at 0:59:49 · ends around 1:01:10
Nemo gets stuck in the tank filter again during another escape attempt, and the Tank Gang scrambles to pull him free.
MildKrill Swarm Near the Whale1:06:46–1:06:59
Be ready at 1:06:16 · ends around 1:07:14
Marlin and Dory are nearly swept along with a swarm of krill toward a whale's mouth and have to swim quickly to get clear.
StrongNemo Nearly Falls1:15:24–1:15:59
Be ready at 1:14:54 · ends around 1:16:14
While being rolled along the counter in a baggie during the escape plan, Nemo almost falls from a height and panics before Gill reassures him.
StrongNigel the Pelican's Wild Ride1:17:38–1:18:51
Be ready at 1:17:08 · ends around 1:19:06
The pelican Nigel scoops Marlin and Dory into his mouth and flies them at high speed toward the dentist's office, a frightening but ultimately helpful ride.
StrongDarla Believes Nemo Is Dead1:19:08–1:19:31
Be ready at 1:18:38 · ends around 1:19:46
Nemo plays dead to avoid being handled by Darla, and both she and his fish friends briefly believe he has died, risking being thrown in the trash.
StrongRescue Chaos at the Dentist1:19:33–1:21:40
Be ready at 1:19:03 · ends around 1:21:55
A chaotic rescue unfolds as Darla screams with a fish in her hair, the dentist intervenes, and Nemo is flushed down the drain to escape, appearing motionless before reviving.
StrongMarlin Gives Up, Leaves Dory1:22:49–1:23:51
Be ready at 1:22:19 · ends around 1:24:06
Believing Nemo has died, a devastated Marlin decides to leave Dory behind despite her tearful pleading for him to stay.
StrongNemo Caught Again, Dory Hurt1:24:03–1:24:43
Be ready at 1:23:33 · ends around 1:24:58
Nemo is caught again near the docks and calls for his father, and Dory is struck trying to help him.
StrongTrapped in the Fishing Net1:26:51–1:29:03
Be ready at 1:26:21 · ends around 1:29:18
Dory and a school of fish are caught in a fishing trawler's net, and Nemo risks himself swimming inside to help organize an escape while Marlin fears losing him again.
Very strongNemo Unconscious, Marlin's Terror1:29:28–1:30:08
Be ready at 1:28:58 · ends around 1:30:23
After the net ordeal, Nemo is found floating motionless and Marlin fears he is dead until Nemo wakes up and they reconcile.
MildSharks Visit the School1:31:21–1:31:43
Be ready at 1:30:51 · ends around 1:31:58
Bruce and his shark friends surprise everyone by showing up at Nemo's school to make sure Dory got home safely, startling before being recognized as friendly.
How this guide was made
We read the film’s subtitles and list each scene in them that could scare or upset a child: when it happens, what happens, and how strong it is for ages 5–7 and 8–10.
These subtitles caption sounds as well as speech, so many sound-only moments are covered. A scare that is only shown can still be missed.
Times follow one subtitle release (Finding.Nemo.2003.Bluray.Original.SDH). Another edition or streaming version can run a little earlier or later.
Children under 5 are not rated. If you use the 5–7 marks for a younger child, expect some scenes to feel stronger.