That 12/13 year olds shouldn’t be watching Scream?

[Mull]

How would you feel if your DD (13) went to a birthday party and they watched Scream, an 18 rated film? This was with full knowledge of the birthday girl’s parents.

DD has never even watched a 15, let alone an 18. I looked on common sense media which suggests it’s 16+. I watched the film years ago and remember it being quite funny (slasher parody?) but also scary and gory.

I’m furious about it but DH thinks I’m over reacting a bit. I’m biased as watched a lot of films I shouldn’t have when I was too young (IT, Chuckie and Silence of the Lambs spring to mind) and had nightmares for years.

Should I let it go or speak to the parents? DD doesn’t seem bothered by it, but I am!

Why is your daughter terrified of everything? Obviously not caused by horror films if not allowed to watch them

Scream is very much a silly slasher, even the new ones should probably be rated a 12

No, I definitely see it as more at the comedy end of the horror spectrum. It’s basically taking the piss out of all those 80s slashers.

🤣 that someone thinks Jaws is a horror 🙈😂

There's plenty that say the same about Watership Down.

Our (really, not MN height 😁) 6ft 5”, 22 year old son is really spooked by anything to do with ghosts, always has been. Different people have different sensibilities.

But that's not EVERYTHING is it as the PP stated

Parents should have been asked first. I watched loads of horrors between 10-15 and whilst I enjoyed them, I also had nightmares for a long time. Every child is different and I would never show a bunch of 13 year olds an 18 without asking parents first. I'd find a scary 12 instead, maybe even a 15 but again I'd ask first

The everything i reger to isbwhat is in the film. I think it's quite reasonable for a 13 yr old to be terrified of seeing teenagers getting their guts slashed open and dropping out of their body and hanging froma a tree, chased around safe places and having their throats slashed or having a garage door breaking their neck whilst they try and escape a serial killer. But, hey, I'm just not up for normalising this level of violence for a child when it's an 18 film. I'm ok with that.

How would they know the films show all that if they have never seen one? Most 15 horrors are crap - turn the sound off and they are laughable. And I’m not a horror fan by any means. But Jaws and Poltergeist are fine for 13 year olds 🤣

Interestingly I had a 13 year old to stay overnight with my 14 year old.
They asked to watch Scream.
I'd seen it myself so I was able to gauge how suitable it was for DS, I talked to him about what sort of a horror film it is, he was keen, and I decided I was ok with him watching it. The reason for my decision is because it's a 'jump scare' movie and lots of fake blood and gore. DS is completely unaffected by this type of stuff. He simply gets that it's acting and masks and special effects; he genuinely isn't affected by this kind of stuff. However, I would definitely NOT have let him watch a movie that night that was a dark psychological horror. Scream is not that kind of a movie.
Anyhow, I told the 13 yr old friend that I would text his DM to ask her thoughts and that if she wasn't ok with it then they'd have to choose another non horror film. His DM and I had a bit of a text chat about it, and she okayed it.
I spent the 1.5 hours of the film popping in and out to check on them and to check their responses - any hint of distress and I was ready to turn it off. There was none - they were either watching it with neutral expressions, or going "Ueghhhh!!!!" whilst laughing.
It finished and they went back to chatting about plans for the next day, totally unaffected.
But as I always say, I desperately wish people would stop assessing kids based on their chronological ages and start assessing them as individuals based on what they as individuals can manage!!! There are 15 year olds who can't handle 15 cert movies. I've got a 12 year old who can't handle certain 12 cert movies! It has everything to do with what the child can deal with and not what year they were born in.

That does sound likely

It’s a very silly film. Not sure if youngsters would be harmed by it. 🤷‍♀️

Scream is a satire.

I saw the first 15 minutes and left. I thought it was horrible.

I watched it age 13 at my first sleepover. Had great fun. That said, as a parent now, I wouldn't allow it.

It's basically a comedy 😂. My 14 year old has watched and didn't bat an eyelid.

Scream is more a comedy than a horror. There are a few bits that make it an 18, which it is but overall as a movie it is suitable for teens (unless they are if a particularly nervous disposition)

Oh I see. But how do you know she's terrified of all that if she's never seen films of that type?

I don't like them but was never terrified. Sat through nightmare on elm St as a teenager. Wasn't scared but just a " ugh nasty" thoughts but won't choose to see that type of film

I also hate when people say, I'm happy not to be the cool mum, implying that people who let their kids watch this type of thing are bad parents. Some of us have kids who aren't scared of everything and it actually sounds like your kid wasn't bothered anyway.

When did stuff that used to be a right of passage such as watching an age inappropriate film at a sleepover become such dramas?

AlexaStopAlexaNo

Please don’t make your daughter be That Kid. 🫣

Yes, I remember all the kids in school whose parents pulled them out of things or complained, terrible, but I do!!

While I don’t think they should have watched it without telling you if it helps it’s definitely 👍 on the lighter side of what they could have watched in that genre, those films are nearly the only ones I’ll watch and my eldest does call them comedy thriller

I have very fond memories of watching forbidden horror films at sleepovers around that age. However I also remember a girl who had never been to one of our sleepovers being petrified of the film we chose that evening (we switched it off but the damage had been done). Horror isn't for everyone.

I also don't think scream is silly. Yes of course there is plenty worse out there but it's fairly graphic in places. Would definitely want to know if my 13yo was watching it but would kind of expect some sort of horror or adult comedy film at a sleepover.

Watching with a load of girls it’s totally different to watching it on your own. It was fine.

My 8 year olds watched it and loved it!