This summer there has been a number of highly anticipated movies, including Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. To add to this collection is a new mystery-horror movie, which opens in August under the title, Weapons.
The film focuses on a small community which is rocked to its core when one night, all but one child from the same class vanish at exactly the same time. As parents and local citizens attempt to get their heads around the situation, it becomes clear something sinister is afoot.
Weapons is being released through New Line Cinema, and is the work of filmmaker Zach Cregger. The movie boasts a cast which includes Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, and Benedict Wong, as well as the Silver Surfer herself, Julia Garner.
Now, while Weapons is highly anticipated, just like the aforementioned Superman and Fantastic Four, those movies are clearly designed with families and/or younger audiences in mind, so teenagers have been fine attending screenings. But is Weapons looking to target the same audience?
With this being a horror movie, which always tend to be popular with the teen crowd, the question parents will be asking is: Will my teen be able to watch Weapons in the cinema? Let’s take a look at the age rating to find out.
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Weapons (2025) age rating in the UK
OK, so let’s start with the UK, where the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has awarded Weapons an ’18’ certificate. The BBFC has given Weapons this certificate due to “strong bloody violence, (and) gore.”
In the UK, a movie with an ’18’ certificate is deemed suitable for audiences who are 18 or over. No one will be permitted to a screening of Weapons if they are below this age.
It doesn’t matter if your son or daughter is a horror-obsessed 15-year-old who is going along to a screening with their older brother or sister, unless they are 18 or over, they will not be allowed to view Weapons in the cinema. Those are the rules.
So, do the BBFC believe Weapons is suitable for a teenager? Based on the ’18’ age certificate, the BBFC does not believe Weapons is suitable for a teen unless that teen is 18 or 19 (i.e. an adult).
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Weapons (2025) age rating in the US
Over to the US now, where the ratings system is a little different. It is less restrictive, which can be both a help and a hinderance.
In the US, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has given Weapons an ‘R’ rating. The film has received this rating for strong bloody violence and grisly images, language, some sexual content and drug use – so, pretty extreme stuff.
However, in the US anyone can watch an ‘R’ rated movie, the only stipulation is that audience members under the age of 17 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. As such, you could be 13 and watch Weapons, so long as there is an adult in attendance.
When it comes to ‘R’ rated movies, the MPAA advises that these movies do contain adult material. As such, parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking young children to a screening.
So, based on this rating, does the MPAA believe Weapons is suitable for a teen? Hmm… it’s sort of a grey area, with the emphasis put onto the parents to decide based on the information provided.
For those who are really unsure, it might be worth considering the UK’s age rating system. The BBFC believe Weapons is only suitable for audiences aged 18 or over, so keep this in mind when making your decision.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about Weapons. For more movie posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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