Movie · Comedy · 2004 · PG-13

Mean Girls: parents' guide

Name: Mean Girls
Released: 2004

13+our pick

Best for ages 13 and up. Rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and some teen partying.

A sharp, very funny satire of high school cliques that's a rite of passage for many young teens, though it's more sexual than its reputation suggests. Expect constant sexual jokes, a hookup in a projection booth with the couple partly undressed, a gym teacher revealed to be sleeping with students (played as a gag), and a party where the heroine gets drunk and throws up. Language includes one f-word, a homophobic slur and endless "bitch" and "slut." The bullying is cruel, but the film clearly condemns it and shows the damage. Fine at 13 with a parent.

What's in it

Violence

Moderate

A girl is hit by a school bus without warning, a shocking moment played for dark laughs, and later wears a halo brace. The leaked Burn Book sparks a chaotic hallway brawl with hair-pulling, and a girl is dropped during a trust fall.

Language

Moderate

An f-word or two (one in a song), a cut-off "motherf--," a homophobic slur used to smear a character and a racial slur once, plus constant "bitch," "slut," "skank" and "whore," some "asshole" and "damn," and "retarded" as an insult.

Sex and nudity

Moderate

Constant sexual talk and revealing costumes; a mom interrupts her daughter kissing a boy on a bed and offers condoms. Regina is shown in her underwear with a boy in a projection booth, and the gym teacher is having sex with two students, played as a joke.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Moderate

At a house party teens drink spiked punch and do shots; Cady gets drunk and vomits on her crush. Regina's mom offers to add alcohol to the girls' drinks. A false rumor paints a teacher as a drug dealer.

Scary or intense scenes

Mild

Little that's scary beyond the sudden bus collision. The stress is social: rumors, public humiliation, and a new girl eating lunch alone in a bathroom stall.

Sensitive topics

Bullying

Worth talking about

Cady becomes the very thing she set out to expose. Why does tearing someone down feel good in the moment, and what finally breaks the cycle at North Shore?

Where to stream →

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, 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.