Written and Directed by: Martin McDonagh Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, Clemence Poesy, Jordan Prentice Rated: Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, and some drug use. Parental Notes: This is not a film for youngsters. The violence in it is graphic in a realistic way rather than a cartoony one, and thus fairly disturbing.
Directed by: David Moreau and Xavier Palud Starring: Jessica Alba, Alessandro Nivola, Parker Posey Rated: PG-13 for violence/terror and disturbing content. Parental Notes: This is not a film for most youngsters — the disturbing content may well be too much for them. Teens and mature preteens will likely enjoy it.
Directed by: Gregory Hoblit Starring: Diane Lane, Billy Burke, Colin Hanks, Joseph Cross Rated: R for grisly violence and torture, and some language. Parental Notes: The R rating is well-deserved. The deaths in this film are protracted and gruesome, making the film not for impressionable youngsters.
Directed by: Matt Reeves Starring: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Odette Yustman, Mike Vogel Rated: PG-13 for violence, terror and disturbing images. Parental Notes: This is a solid PG-13. It’s not quite graphic enough to be an R, but there’s plenty of scary stuff in here. This is not a movie for little kids. Teens and preteens with an appetite for monster movies should be fine, though.
Directed by: Rob Reiner Starring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd, Rob Morrow Rated: PG-13 for language, including a sexual reference. Parental Notes: In terms of violence and sexuality, this is a very low-key film. It does have some gentle deaths in it and the whole terminal-illness thing, plus some language, but that’s about it.
Directed by: Juan Antonio Bayona Starring: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep Rated: R for some disturbing content. Parental Notes: This is not a child-friendly film, on several counts. For one, it’s subtitled. For another, it is very creepy, with the ghosts or corpses of dead children featuring prominently in many scenes, and one graphic car accident scene. This film deserves its R rating and is not at all for kids. Teenagers who can appreciate foreign cinema and love spooky films will likely enjoy it.
Directed by: John Turtletaub Starring: Nicholas Cage, Jon Voight, Ed Harris, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Helen Mirren, Harvey Keitel Rated: PG for some violence and action. Parental Notes: This is a fairly idiotic film, but it is innocuous for most youngsters. There’s a little violence and some peril, but it is not at all graphic and is in the grand dumb-action-movie style.
Directed by: Tim Burton Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jayne Wisener Rated: R for graphic bloody violence. Parental Notes: This film deserves its R rating — there is plenty of gore spraying about here, and lots of dead bodies, body parts, and gaping wounds. Not for youngsters or the faint of heart.
Directed by: Francis Lawrence Starring: Will Smith Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence. Parental Notes: Most teens and preteens should be fine — this is a suspenseful movie and youngsters who are already afraid of dark places may find it too intense, but it is not terribly graphic.
Directed by: Chris Weitz Starring: Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig Rated: PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence. Parental Notes: The violence is, with one exception, fairly standard fantasy fare — there are battles with little blood. The exception is a battle between two armored polar bears which ends with one killing the other with a move the observant may find shocking but the unobservant will probably not notice as particularly violent. There is very little blood, however.