The spooky season is on the horizon, and one of the early releases landing in September is the dystopian horror, The Long Walk. Based on a Stephen King book of the same name, the movie follows the story of a group of young men who compete in a contest where they must maintain a certain walking speed or die!
Directed by Francis Lawrence, The Long Walk has been adapted for the screen by JT Mollner. The film stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Ben Wang, Charlie Plummer, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill.
Now, if you’re familiar with the book or you’ve caught the teaser trailer for this film, The Long Walk is shaping up to be intriguing stuff. It should certainly catch the eye of King fans, and due to this being a horror, it’s likely to draw the attention of a teen audience (horrors tend to do that).
But when the movie lands in cinemas, will it be suitable for all? Perhaps more importantly, will it be suitable for teens?
Let’s dive into the age rating to find out.
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The Long Walk UK age rating
Let’s start with the UK, where The Long Walk has been given a ‘15’ certificate by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). The film has received this rating due to “strong violence, injury detail, (and) language.”
In the UK, a movie with a ‘15’ certificate is only suitable for audiences aged 15 years old or over. If the BBFC award a ‘15’ certificate to a film, then audience members must be this age or above to view the film in UK cinemas – no exceptions.
Based on this certificate, while the BBFC believe The Long Walk is suitable for some teens (15+), the organisation does not believe it is suitable for all teens (14-year-olds, 13-year-olds, etc). So depending on what age your teenager is will ultimately determine if they can watch this one in a UK cinema.
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The Long Walk US age rating
Over to the US now, where the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has awarded The Long Walk an ‘R’ rating. The Long Walk has received this rating for strong bloody violence, grisly images, suicide, pervasive language, and sexual references.
In the US anyone can watch an ‘R’ rated movie, the only stipulation is audience members under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. The MPAA also advise parents to learn more about the film before taking young children to a screening
When it comes to ‘R’ rated movies in the US, films with this rating contain some adult material, so the general suggestion from the MPAA is to consider the suitability for the intended audience. However, this is guidance not law, so it is ultimately up to parental discretion.
So, is The Long Walk suitable for a teen? The MPAA ask you to take the ‘R’ rating into consideration, but it is up to you to decide.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about The Long Walk. For more movie posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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