Ghost Stories: parents' guide
Best for ages 15 and up. Not formally rated.
A British horror anthology with a twisty frame story, best for older teens who like puzzles as much as scares. A professor who debunks psychics investigates three hauntings: a night watchman in an abandoned asylum, a teen whose car breaks down in the woods, and a businessman awaiting his first child. It is more eerie than gory, but a man shoots himself, seen briefly with some blood, a disabled boy is bullied and dies in a flashback, and there are discriminatory insults and occasional f-words. Suicide and guilt sit at the heart of the twist, so we suggest 15.
What's in it
Violence
ModerateLimited on-screen violence. A man shoots himself with a shotgun, shown briefly with some blood, a car hits something in the woods, and a room is torn apart in a rage. A boy dies of an asthma attack after bullies lure him into a drain.
Language
StrongOccasional f-words and s-words, plus "ass," "bitch," "bollocks" and religious exclamations. Discriminatory insults also appear, including an antisemitic taunt in a school bullying flashback, and the film clearly does not side with them.
Sex and nudity
NoneNo sexual content or nudity.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModerateAdults drink socially and smoke in the background, and teenage bullies smoke in one flashback. No drug use.
Scary or intense scenes
StrongFrequent, sustained supernatural scenes: a ghostly girl in a dark asylum, a creature in the woods, a poltergeist, a rotting body and a demonic figure. A boy fighting for breath in a cramped drain is tense, and the reality-bending finale is unsettling.
Sensitive topics
- Suicide
- Bullying
- Death of a child
- Racism
Worth talking about
The professor has carried guilt for decades over standing by while another boy was bullied. Talk about what it takes to speak up, and how people can live with past mistakes.
On our lists
Similar picks around 15+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, bbfc.co.uk, Wikipedia, the MPA. 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.