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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Scream for 12/13 year olds?

56 replies

Acunningruse · 30/10/2025 09:33

Been put under serious pressure to let DS and friends watch this on Halloween- the fact that DS was scared watching ET a couple of years ago doesn’t seem to have deterred him 🙈🤣
before I text the other mums to ask, am I insane for even considering it? It is rated 18 but Im not sure it would be rated the same if made today.
AIBU to consider letting them watch it?

OP posts:
VeterinaryCareAssistant · 30/10/2025 09:36

Personally I'd let them watch it, but only you know if your child will be upset by it. And I guess you should get the other parents' permission.

Ionlymakejokestodistractmyself · 30/10/2025 09:45

No - and I wouldn't be happy with the onus being put on me to say no as your son's friend's parent tbh because that then makes me the bad guy, or ostracises my child.

I don't let my 12yo watch 15 rated films though let alone 18s, maybe I'm strict.

I figure the ratings exist for a reason and are made by experts. I watched Scream as an adult and was scared.

SparklyBlueDress · 30/10/2025 09:55

My child wouldn’t be coming if I knew that was planned.

Terrytheweasel · 30/10/2025 09:57

That’s awful. I’d hate the thought of any child watching that film. I can’t even stomach it and I’m in my 40’s.

DiscoBob · 30/10/2025 09:58

It's kind of meant to be tongue in cheek though isn't it? It's not like Hellraiser or Saw or something where it's just sadistically gory.

I'd say it's fine but only if other kids parents also agree.

Tagyoureit · 30/10/2025 09:59

No i wouldn't let them watch it.

ghostyslovesheets · 30/10/2025 10:01

Not at that age - and I’m pretty chill on most things!

Mine liked films such as Warm Bodies or Gremlins at that age but 18+ maybe not yet. Scream has a lot of bloody stuff and slashy knives etc.

Itsnearlyxmas · 30/10/2025 10:01

It's an 18 for a reason. Your child isn't 18. End of.

Jokeymcjokeface · 30/10/2025 10:14

Personally no, my friend made me watch it when I was that age and I am still scared of that mask now!
That said, I believe people have different levels of tolerance. My DS13 can watch things that I find scary or creepy. He and my DH can tell themselves it is “only a film,” whereas my imagination runs wild and struggles to separate reality from fiction.
Knowing this, if my son asked, I might let him watch it with his dad, but I would never risk being the one to show it to other people’s children even with permission. I would hate to be the reason someone else ends up scared of those things for life.

Zanatdy · 30/10/2025 10:16

No, choose something else. It scared the crap out of me as an adult.

Zanatdy · 30/10/2025 10:17

Under pressure from whom to put it on?

mellongoose · 30/10/2025 10:19

It would be a ‘no’ from me.

PurpleThistle7 · 30/10/2025 10:22

I wouldn’t feel comfortable even suggesting it. My daughter is 12 and trends young with her movie choices but would feel bad being the one to ruin it for everyone else. To be honest I think it’s unlikely to go very well anyway and you’d end up with at least one very upset child.

Balloonhearts · 30/10/2025 10:23

I'd let them watch it. I saw it at the same age. I have a soft spot for Scream, it was my first slasher film and honestly, it's so laughably bad that it's a good intro film. It's not that scary really, it's mostly jump scares. Most 13 year olds would probably be fine. My 10 year old has seen bits of it.

Ddakji · 30/10/2025 10:25

Itsnearlyxmas · 30/10/2025 10:01

It's an 18 for a reason. Your child isn't 18. End of.

my nearly 16 year old asked to watched this. I was surprised that it’s an 18, and as I usually do in this situations I went into Commonsense Media which has their staff ratings, parent ratings and kid ratings, none of which had it as an 18 - staff had it as 16+, parents 14+, kids 13+.

I mean, Stranger Things is a 15.

@Acunningruse I wouldn’t let a 12 year old watch it. They can watch The Woman in Black.

Captainladder · 30/10/2025 10:28

I just re watched it a couple of nights ago because my ds (14) has been asking to watch it and I wasn't sure.
I have said he can watch it ... it's quite gory but not super realistic.... don't think I would have said yes at 12/13 years old though. But only you know your child and technically of course the answer should be no as it is an 18.
If mine does end up watching it - id definitely bring up a conversation with him about it.... (especially the crappy portrayal of women - though the main female character is brave!).

Captainladder · 30/10/2025 10:29

Oh but it's a no for me for having other kids around to watch it with him!!! I only want to be responsible for my own child's mental health!

Sharptonguedwoman · 30/10/2025 10:34

Acunningruse · 30/10/2025 09:33

Been put under serious pressure to let DS and friends watch this on Halloween- the fact that DS was scared watching ET a couple of years ago doesn’t seem to have deterred him 🙈🤣
before I text the other mums to ask, am I insane for even considering it? It is rated 18 but Im not sure it would be rated the same if made today.
AIBU to consider letting them watch it?

Absolutely not. It's an 18. Your child is 12/13. I loathed this when parents showed films DD was frightened of, on sleepovers. Please just don't.

Ilovethatforyou · 30/10/2025 10:34

I’d be really surprised if parents of my DS12 asked me if I didn’t mind him watching that. It. would make me nervous about their judgement going forward if I’m honest. My personal thought is they’ve got years ahead of them for all that stuff, I’d rather not start desensitising them early on. But then I hate horror!

MonGrainDeSel · 30/10/2025 10:36

YABVVVU and I'd think twice about my 12 year old going to your house in future for anything at all once I heard about this.

tupils · 30/10/2025 10:36

If you want to let him watch it, let him watch it on his own / with family.

As PP said, offering it as an activity with friends and making the other parents decide is a shitty move.
If I was the other parent I would think you were too soft to say no to your child and I would be furious at being put in the impossible situation of either agreeing, or being the stuffy one / the one to ruin the fun. If you are the host, you set the boundaries and safeguard the children, even if the children aren’t in agreement with you!

LittleGreenDuck · 30/10/2025 10:46

My almost 13 year old asked to watch it last week. We watched it as a family, he wasn't scared at all. He thought it was all rather ridiculous. It is a bit slapstick rather than truly gory. That said, I probably wouldn't show it to other people's children.

Pepperedpickles · 30/10/2025 10:47

I think it’s so old now that it won’t scare them the same way 18 rated films of today would. Having said that, what an odd choice for a group of young dc! There are SO many other, slightly scary, more suitable age appropriate films.

Bigearringsbigsmile · 30/10/2025 10:48

No way!!! It's an 18 for a reason!

Strokethefurrywall · 30/10/2025 10:54

My kids love these type of movies and have watched them but id never let other kids watch it.