Rule Breakers (2025)

Safe filmmaking, brave subject. Rule Breakers tells an inspiring true-life story in the most familiar shape it could find, and you can call most of its beats before they arrive. Nikohl Boosheri plays Roya Mahboob, who brings together a team of Afghan girls to design and build robots in a place where even going to school can take courage. As word of the team spreads beyond the country, the spotlight brings hope and danger in equal measure. Bill Guttentag directs with sincerity and no tricks, and the young cast is easy to root for. Rotten Tomatoes critics came in at 83%, and opening crowds gave it a straight A CinemaScore, which tells you exactly who it’s for. It runs 122 minutes and could lose a few. A 6.6 because the story is moving even when the filmmaking plays it safe. $27.25 says a kid in your house asks about joining a robotics club before the week is out.

What works: The young cast is warm and believable, and the film tells a real story of courage with sincerity instead of melodrama.

What doesn’t: It follows the inspirational true-story playbook so closely that very little about how it’s told feels surprising.

Who it’s for: Families with kids who love building things, and anyone who wants an uplifting true story on a weeknight.