Decision to Leave: parents' guide
Best for ages 15 and up. Not formally rated.
A slow-burning, artful Korean mystery-romance in subtitles that suits older teens who prefer puzzles to action. A sleepless Busan detective investigating a man's fatal fall from a mountain becomes infatuated with the dead man's widow, his main suspect. It was released in the US without an MPA rating. Expect several deaths, close-ups of decaying corpses, a man repeatedly hitting a woman, one sex scene without nudity and infrequent f-words. The plot turns on suspected suicides, fentanyl used to end a sick parent's life, and a haunting ending. The adult themes and moral murk, more than graphic content, are why we suggest 15.
What's in it
Violence
ModerateSeveral murders, mostly in aftermath or flashback: a man pushed off a cliff, a brutal stabbing without visible blood, a body in a bloody pool. A man repeatedly hits a woman, and police photos show bruises from a husband's abuse. Police fire at a suspect.
Language
ModerateInfrequent strong language in the English subtitles: f-word, a couple of s-words, plus ass, bastard and damn. Swearing is occasional rather than constant.
Sex and nudity
ModerateOne sex scene shows a couple having intercourse, with thrusting but no visible nudity, and a couple lies in bed with bare shoulders. Shirtless men, passionate kissing, an affair, and dialogue about consensual and non-consensual sex. No assault is shown.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModerateOne character smokes and is scolded for it, and one drinks to excess; others drink moderately. Fentanyl drives the plot: an overdose death and the drug's use to end a terminally ill woman's life are discussed.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateMore tense than scary, but the crime-scene imagery is strong: ants crawling on a dead man's open eye, decomposing skin in close-up, a body floating in bloody water. The ending, in which a major character's death by suicide is implied, is haunting.
Sensitive topics
- Suicide
- Domestic abuse
- Overdose
Worth talking about
The detective lets his attraction override his duty. Why do people make choices they know are wrong, and how does the film blur the line between victim and villain?
On our lists
Similar picks around 15+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Wikipedia, bbfc.co.uk, ageratingjuju.com. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.