The Secret Life of Pets

Ever wonder what your pets do when you're not home?

2016 • 86 min • Animation · Comedy · Family · Adventure

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Synopsis

The quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes.

Our family guide

Best from age 6

Movie Knight Score

8601 reviews

100 Reviewers · 4 · 60%
63 Audience · 8597 · 40%

When a pampered terrier's owner brings home a large, shaggy stray, their rivalry lands them in the sewers of New York, encountering a gang of abandoned pets.

Violence & peril: 3/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 0/10
Romance & sensuality: 0/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

Chases and peril involving animals
Some rude humor
Brief moments of animal cruelty implied

What it models well

Friendship and teamwork
Acceptance and family
Resilience

Talk about it after

Sharing and new siblings
Empathy for animals
What makes a family

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Secret Life of Pets. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Chris Renaud • Crew: Ken Daurio, Cinco Paul, Brian Lynch

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

Recommended
Meh. Funny. Acting was alright. I liked Kevin Hart as the rabbit. But it is definitely just for kids and the ending was very sudden. ★★★
mattwilde123, TMDB Community

Recommended
Very cute intro and some adorable animals, but the leads (voiced by Louis C.K. and Eric Stonestreet) were the worst part of the film... even if they did have a couple funny moments. What makes this worth viewing, however, are Gidget (Jenny Slate), Snowball (Kevin Hart), and Tiberius (Albert Brooks). In fact, I'd even consider watching a spin-off it it focused on them and left Max and Duke out.…
Tiffany Lynn, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
**Street pets versus the house pets! A day adventure in a big city!** Animation films always fascinate me, because of its varieties. Even animals can be the heroes and villains. So this kind of new story perspective, including technology, what makes adults too can enjoy them like the kids does. This is now in the list of top 50 highest grossing films of all time and top 10 of the year 2016.…
Reno, TMDB Community

Recommended
A SCREEN ZEALOTS REVIEW www.screenzealots.com Anyone who is fortunate enough to share their life with a companion animal will undoubtedly get a kick out of the latest Illumination animated effort, “The Secret Life of Pets.…
Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots, TMDB Community