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Original poster

What age would you let your child watch a 15 film?

97 replies

sambasam · 26/12/2018 20:49

A reasonably violent/gory one? We have guests staying and they have put one on for their 7 yr old , feels a bit too young? Mine are younger so I am wondering if this is what they will expect to watch at that age?

OP posts:
Fridaydreamer · 26/12/2018 21:16

Depends on the film.

DD is 12. Recently I allowed Die Hard but quickly switched off Bad Moms. Very different levels in appropriateness yet both listed as 15.

7 is waaaay to young for a 15 film imo.

BollockingBaubles · 26/12/2018 21:16

Depends on the content and the child's maturity.

BirdBox for example is a 15, but I've watched it with my 13 year old after researching and checking content.

The Blair Witch is a 15 and we've watched that,

Gremlins was a 15 cert horror film when I was a kid but now it seems to a family xmas movie. My brain can't let a seven year old watch that because of me not being allowed to haha

What was the film?

3boysandabump · 26/12/2018 21:19

Totally depends on the film

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concernedforthefuture · 26/12/2018 21:24

It would depend on the film and the child. If child is mature for their age and / or has older siblings so is used to more grownup topics, then maybe 12 at the earliest?

Sexnotgender · 26/12/2018 21:29

Depending on film 14/15.

12 is far too young. There’s a big jump in maturity from 12 to 15.

MissWilmottsGhost · 26/12/2018 21:30

Depends on the film, depends on the child.

DD is 7 and watched the original Watership Down today without flinching or crying unlike her mum I know she isn't easily upset by films Hmm

She has watched 12 cert films already I think, I don't really take much notice of the certificates, they give little indication of the level of violence or horror anyway, and seem more to do with swearing and nudity Confused I dont let her watch anything I haven't already seem and just make a judgement about whether she will be ok with it, and turn it off if I think I made the wrong call.

I would definitely let her watch Gremlins. Had no idea it was a 15 though.

Dotty1970 · 26/12/2018 21:30

14 at the very least.
A 7 year old shouldn't even be contemplated watching it!

littlebillie · 26/12/2018 21:31

Depending on the age of the film and content. If rated for swearing rather than violence I would be more lenient.

Common-sense media site is useful

cousineddie · 26/12/2018 21:34

I was allowed to watch Gremlins at age 5 or 6 ... and worse besides (Poltergeist, Dumb and Dumber, Airplane, Naked Gun, Father Ted) all long before I left primary school.

I don’t think I understood them ... and I don’t think it was OK looking back in some cases! So I would say probably age 12 or so.

AlexanderHamilton · 26/12/2018 21:36

Depending on the film about 13 years old.

madeyemoodysmum · 26/12/2018 21:47

Did 13 watches “it” and other mild horror

I won’t let her watch 18 horror

Some 15 have shocking language and violence so I tend to watch with her so I can turn of if need be. But I find online review sites useful in choosing

But 7 no way

I’d let a 7 yo watch a 12 possibly if it’s fantasy such as Harry Potter or marvel.

SatsumaFan · 27/12/2018 08:51

WHAT FILM WAS IT OP?!

Branleuse · 27/12/2018 08:54

depends on the film, but 7 would def be too young

EmmaGrundyForPM · 27/12/2018 09:00

My children are older but when younger I was pretty strict about the 15 rating. When ds2 was 10 a friend gave him the DVD of "Gladiator" for his birthday and I wouldn't let him watch it. He was furious but I stuck to my guns.

Almondio · 27/12/2018 09:11

Depends what film it is. Check out Common Sense Media for reliable reviews and suggestions from parents and kids about suitable ages ... all opinion based but they've always seem pretty reasonable.

Bellatrix14 · 27/12/2018 09:13

I think it entirely depends on the film, and the child. Age ratings are set by a generic set of rules, I would consider them to be guidelines more than actual rules.

I took my sister to see Coraline in the cinema when she was 8 (it’s a PG) and she had nightmares for several days afterwards, like she did after she watched the Doctor Who episode Tooth and Claw, which both should have been fine age wise. She’d watched 12 certificate films that hadn’t bothered her!

On a more extreme note, my parents let her watch Interview with a Vampire (which is an 18 Blush) when she was very young, and she absolutely loved it. So much so that we used to have to watch it every evening (we shared a room) because she was adamant that her friend Lestat the Vampire would scare away the hyenas from the ‘U’ rated The Lion King, because she’d also watched that and was terrified of them!

@madeyemoodysmum Would you consider ‘It’ to be mild horror? Confused I’m not being judgemental at all (if I had a mature 13 year old I’d probably let them watch it if they wanted to!) but I really wouldn’t describe it as mild!

Dontbestupidagain · 27/12/2018 09:19

Absolutely depends on the film. I have let my 11 and 13 year olds watch Dirty Dancing and Harry Potter but there are other which would be a definite no no. I use Common Sense Media too to get an idea of why it's rated that way.

WhyDontYouComeOnOver · 27/12/2018 10:08

Harry Potter isn't a 15.

I let DS who is 10 watch Beetlejuice recently.

JoyceDivision · 27/12/2018 10:13

Kick ass is 15???? No way!!

However, back in the day,we moved housewhen I was 10 and I know in our old house so by the time I was 10,I had watched Nightmare on Elm Street at least the first 1ans 2, The Thing and American Werewolf in London. Which is odd as parents were strict yet my dad didn't have a problem us watching them!

mamaduckbone · 27/12/2018 10:16

12, depending on the film. Ds1 watched maze runner at 12 because he’d read the books but dh and I watched it first. 7 is way too young imo.

Aragog · 27/12/2018 10:21

Depends on the film.
We let DD watch Gremlins much earlier than other 15 films for example. This was a 15 initially - it got changes to a 12 in 2012 I believe,

Yet there are some 15 films that I am not overly keen on her seeing even now - and she is 16y. Obviously I don't prevent her these days - she choose herself, i just don't watch them!

On the whole it was probably from about 13y for many - depending o the film and context. We would have seen them beforehand generally too so knew why they were 15s. I used to always check places like common sense media and the iMdb parent guides to see what they said too. Its also worth knowing that the same films are rated differently in different countries.

MyDcAreMarvel · 27/12/2018 10:22

15-17 in general depending on the film. 14 for something like Schindlers List . Horror/violent films not before 17 my dc agree and respect that.

Aragog · 27/12/2018 10:24

Re Gremlins - the main issue is making sure they know the whole Santa thing before hand, as it gives it away!

IIRR Gremlins was initially a 15 in the UK, but then regraded as 12. It was rated PG in the US.

BrokenWing · 27/12/2018 10:28

Depends on film. Ds is 15 in a few weeks and watched Saving Private Ryan last night. Felt the right age for the older content, but also the right age to appreciate the film.

Nenic · 27/12/2018 10:40

12