Thirty years after fantasy horror movie Interview with the Vampire opened in UK cinemas, the film is getting a slight change for 2024. And this change is related to the movie’s age certificate.
When Interview with the Vampire originally opened in UK cinemas back in 1994, the movie carried an ‘18’ certificate. This meant Interview with the Vampire was deemed suitable for those aged 18 and over, and no one under this age was permitted to watch the film in cinemas.
When Interview with the Vampire returns to cinemas in 2024 for its 30th anniversary, the film will carry a ‘15’ certificate. This means the former ‘adults only’ movie starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt is now deemed suitable for anyone aged 15 or over.
Does this mean scenes have been cut from the film, to reduce the age certificate? Actually, no – Interview with the Vampire has received no cuts, no edits, and no changes, and will be screened as it was in 1994.
So, if Interview with the Vampire has received no cuts, why is the film now a certificate ‘15’ instead of an ‘18’? Because the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) believe in 2024 the film aligns with the criteria required for a ‘15’ certificate more than it does for an ‘18’ certificate.
Over the course of time, the BBFC refines and redefines its criteria for determining age certifications. This is because content once viewed as being only suitable for one age group, due to language, violence, horror, etc, may now be suitable for a different age group.
Things change, boundaries move, and nothing stays the same. As the years roll on, a film previously seen as too dark or too violent, may now seem less dark or less violent in another decade.
In the case of Interview with the Vampire, the ratings criteria used in 2024 makes it clear the film would now be a classed as a ‘15’ rather than an ‘18’. Things have changed from 1994 to 2024, and Interview with the Vampire has changed with it.
Interestingly, Interview with the Vampire has only been submitted for classification in UK cinemas twice: The first time in October ‘94 and the second time in February ‘24. Had the film been resubmitted to the BBFC at an earlier point in time, it is possible the certificate could have changed a while back.
It’s also worth noting it is quite common for films to be granted new certificates. In 2023, Casper was reclassified for cinema exhibition, taking it from its original ‘PG’ certificate and bumping it up to a ‘12A’.
Reclassification’s happen all of the time and will continue to happen for as long as they are required. Sometimes films get downgraded, sometimes they are upgraded, and they will forever change to match the times we live in.
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