Halloween (2018): parents' guide
Best for ages 16 and up. Rated R for horror violence and bloody images, language, brief drug use and nudity.
A gory, profane slasher for older teens and adults, best for viewers who already know the 1978 original it continues. Forty years after his first rampage, Michael Myers escapes and returns to Haddonfield, where a traumatized Laurie Strode has spent decades preparing for him. More than a dozen people die in graphic ways, including a young boy and the parent of a main character. Expect nearly 30 f-words, a teen smoking pot, heavy drinking by Laurie, and brief topless nudity in a flashback. The relentless gore and fear put this at 16.
What's in it
Violence
StrongConstant slasher killings: stabbings, a head stomped on, a man pinned to a wall by a knife through his neck, a boy's neck snapped, beheadings, strangling and shootings. Mangled and headless bodies are shown, often with a lot of blood.
Language
StrongPlugged In counted nearly 30 f-words and about five s-words, plus "bitch," "bastard," "hell," "damn" and several misuses of God's and Jesus' names.
Sex and nudity
ModerateA flashback shows a teen girl topless before and after she is killed. Teens make out on a couch before being interrupted, a drunk young man makes a crude, unwanted pass at a teen girl, and there is some sexual talk.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
StrongA teen smokes marijuana, and teens drink and get high at a school dance. Laurie drinks heavily to cope with her trauma, a father jokes about past drug use, and wine is served at dinner.
Scary or intense scenes
StrongSustained dread and stalking from start to finish, with jump scares, a masked killer lurking in homes, and a long climax in a fortified, booby-trapped house. Laurie's paranoia and her family's damaged relationships add to the tension.
Sensitive topics
- Death of a child
- Death of a parent
Worth talking about
Laurie's daughter and granddaughter are still living with what happened to Laurie decades ago. Talk about how trauma can echo through a family and what kinds of support help people heal.
On our lists
Similar picks around 16+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, Wikipedia, the MPA, bbfc.co.uk. 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.