The Help (2011)
Kernel Score: 91% · 8,892 ratings · Rated PG-13
Genres: Drama
Released: 2011-08-09
Runtime: 146 minutes
Is The Help worth watching?
Must-watch. Strong, warm and well acted, this story of Black maids in 1960s Mississippi is carried by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. It's more comforting than the history it covers, but it moves you honestly.
Watch it if you
- like crowd-pleasing period dramas about injustice
- want standout supporting performances
- enjoy stories of unlikely friendships
Skip it if you
- want a tougher, less polished look at racism
- dislike a white character at the centre of the story
Best for: Family movie night
Fresh Kernels verdict, AI-assisted from our scores, audience reviews and the official rating.
Where to watch The Help
- Stream: Prime Video, YouTube TV
- Free with ads: Tubi
- Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
Aibileen Clark is a middle-aged African-American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son; Minny Jackson is an African-American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family's struggles with money and her desperate need for jobs; and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a young white woman who has recently moved back home after graduating college to find out her childhood maid has mysteriously disappeared. These three stories intertwine to explain how life in Jackson, Mississippi revolves around "the help"; yet they are always kept at a certain distance because of racial lines.
The Help parents' guide: ages 11+
Parents need to know that The Help is a PG-13 drama set in 1960s Mississippi depicting the racism and exploitation faced by Black domestic maids.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official PG-13 rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like The Help
If you liked The Help, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) — 88%: A Southern drama about racism seen through a family's eyes.
- Hidden Figures (2016) — 90%: Women overcoming prejudice and being proved right.
- The Best of Enemies (2019) — 82%: Civil rights history told with an unlikely connection.
- Till (2022) — 82%: A true story of racial injustice told with real feeling.
- The Great Debaters (2007) — 81%: Inspiring drama about Black students and prejudice.
- The Color Purple (2023) — 79%: Black women's strength and sisterhood in the early 1900s South.
Director
Tate Taylor
Cast
- Emma Stone as Skeeter Phelan
- Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark
- Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly Holbrook
- Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson
- Jessica Chastain as Celia Foote
- Ahna O'Reilly as Elizabeth Leefolt
- Allison Janney as Charlotte Phelan
- Anna Camp as Jolene French
- Eleanor Henry as Mae Mobley
- Emma Henry as Mae Mobley
The Help FAQ
Is The Help worth watching?
Must-watch. Strong, warm and well acted, this story of Black maids in 1960s Mississippi is carried by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. It's more comforting than the history it covers, but it moves you honestly.
Where can I watch The Help?
In the US you can stream The Help on Prime Video and YouTube TV, watch it free with ads on Tubi and rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Is The Help OK for kids?
The Help is rated PG-13. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 11+. Parents need to know that The Help is a PG-13 drama set in 1960s Mississippi depicting the racism and exploitation faced by Black domestic maids.
What movies are like The Help?
If you liked The Help, try To Kill a Mockingbird, Hidden Figures, The Best of Enemies and Till.