How to Understand Movie Ratings: 5 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2024)

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1. 1

   Know that G means "General Audiences". Films rated G have content in which the board believes is suitable for general audiences. Films rated G are extremely mild in nature of their content and contain nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children. Although because the content is very mild, films rated G are not designed for children, its designed for everyone.^[2]

   • These films may not contain rude language and no serious cursing. As with violence it must be mild and minimal.
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   Know that PG means "Parental Guidance Suggested". Films rated PG have content in which the board believes is suitable for general audiences aged 10 and older. Films rated PG are often mild but some parents may find the film unsuitable for younger children under the age of 10 and it's up to them to decide whether their kids should watch the film or not.

   • These films may be generally inappropriate for younger children and may contain milder swear words, crude or suggestive humor, short and infrequent horror moments and/or mild violence.

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   Know that PG-13 or TV-14 means "Parents Strongly Cautioned". Films rated PG-13 have content in which the board believes is suitable for viewers aged 13 and older. Films rated PG-13 are between the PG and R rating. PG-13 may go beyond the PG rating, but does not go higher than R.^[3]

   • These films may contain sex references, up to four uses of strong language, drug innuendo, strong crude/suggestive humor, mature/suggestive themes, moderately long horror moments, blood, and/or moderate action violence.
   • This is the equivalent of the "M" classification in Australia, and the "12" classification in the UK.^[4]
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   Know that R means "Restricted". Films rated R have content in which the board believes is suitable for viewers aged 17 and older. Films rated R contain SOME adult material and is intended for mature audiences. Children under the age of 17 may rent, buy, exhibit, or view if accompanied by a parent or guardian.^[5]

   See Also

   What is an R-Rated Movie? An Extensive Breakdown for Parents and Cinephiles - 33rd SquareMovie Ratings Explained — Origins & How They've Changed

   • These films may contain mild or implied sex scenes, prolonged nudity, intense violence often with blood and gore, strong horror scenes and brief/illegal/prolonged drug use.
   • This is the equivalent of the "(MA)15" rating in Australia and the UK.^[6]
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   Know that NC-17 means "Adults Only". Films rated NC-17 have content in which the board believes is suitable only for viewers aged 18 and older. NC-17 rated films are CLEARLY adult movies. Children under 18 are not legally admitted to rated NC-17 films even if they are accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.^[7]

   • These films may contain strong and extreme graphic or explicit violence with bloodshed, pain, dismemberment, death and a very large amount of blood and gore, sex scenes, explicit content, rape or sexual assault, depraved, aberrational behavior, graphic sexual nudity, explicit language or any other elements which that are not suitable for children and strictly prohibited from viewing by minors.
   • This is the equivalent of the (R)18 rating in Australia and the UK.

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• Go to Common Sense to look up their reviews.

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• When buying or renting a movie check the rating behind the case all the way down, and there should be a rating and its descriptors.

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• Although rated R movies are suitable for ages 17 and up, American Sniper, Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge and Fury show positive messages.

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• Some films are not rated by the MPAA, meaning it could be rated NR first. Check the movie to see if it's appropriate. Other releases that were not given a rating by the MPAA are sometimes classified as "unrated".

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Co-authors: 33

Updated: April 3, 2023

Views:56,722

Categories: Movies