Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that even though author Stephenie Meyer intended her sci-fi novel The Host for adult readers, the big-screen adaptation is just as teen friendly as the Twilight saga -- but with aliens instead of supernatural characters. There's a whole lot of passionate kissing, and two young adult characters (in the book, they're specifically described as an older teenage girl and her twentysomething boyfriend) who are revealed to be lovers share a couple of mild sex scenes (mostly just making out in bed, with the man barechested). Given the genre, it's not unusual that there's also violence: People (both alien and human) are shot, commit suicide, and gravely injured. But as in all of Meyer's stories, there's a happily ever after, as well as themes of humans banding together to fight for their freedom and the ability to live and survive.
Sexual
Content
Lots of passionate kissing/touching between different couples, and some allusions to sex. There are also a couple of scenes that make it clear that Melanie and Jared were intimate (in one of them, Jared is shirtless, and his entire back down to his tailbone is visible on the bed). A character wears a suggestive nightgown in an early scene.
Violence
Melanie throws herself through a window as a suicidal act, plunging to her apparent death -- but she lives long enough to be implanted with a parasitic alien. A young boy cuts himself deeply with a sickle. Another character cuts herself (with bloody results) to get a doctor to heal her (part of a larger plan). The body count includes alien "Souls" and humans who are shot or sacrifice themselves in a car crash. Characters have guns (and there's a sword), and weapons are discharged and used to hold people at gunpoint. Some chase/pursuit scenes. Some slapping and yelling between characters; one character tries to strangle another. Humans are opened up to insert the aliens.
Language
A couple of uses of "hell," "damn," "ass," and "oh God" (as an exclamation), plus insults hurled at Wanderer -- "it," "thing," "parasite."
Social
Behavior
The positive message is that people will band together and fight for their freedom, even when it looks like all is lost. Humanity -- in all of its flawed complexity -- is exalted for its will to live, to survive. Other themes include the power of the sibling bond, self reliance, and friendship.
Consumerism
Mercedes, Jeeps, and Lotus vehicles are prominently displayed in several scenes.
Drugs / Tobacco /
Alcohol
Not applicable
