Predators (2025): parents' guide
Best for ages 16 and up. Not formally rated.
A sharp, deeply uncomfortable documentary for older teens and adults that revisits the TV sting show To Catch a Predator and the copycats it inspired. It uses real footage of men lured by adult decoys posing as children, with disturbing excerpts of their sexual messages. During one sting a man shoots himself off-screen and the gunshot is heard. Nothing sexual is shown, but child sexual abuse is the subject throughout and strong language is frequent, which is why we suggest 16.
What's in it
Violence
StrongNo graphic violence, but child sexual abuse is the subject: footage details men's sexual messages to decoys they believed were children, and trafficked children in Cambodia are mentioned. A gunshot is heard off-screen as a man takes his own life.
Language
StrongStrong language is frequent, including f-words, s-words, bitch and damn, much of it in raw sting footage and interviews.
Sex and nudity
ModerateNo sex or nudity. Adult decoys, some in skimpy outfits, pose as young teens, and the film quotes the predatory conversations in disturbing detail. The focus is on exploitation, not titillation.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
MildAdults drink beer and other alcohol in a few scenes, but nothing beyond social drinking. No drug use is shown.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateA steady sense of threat to children runs through the film, and the off-screen suicide is jarring. Questions about humiliating people on camera make it unsettling more than scary.
Sensitive topics
- Suicide
- Child abuse
Worth talking about
The film asks whether shaming suspects on TV protected children or just entertained viewers. Talk about online safety, and about the difference between justice and spectacle.
On our lists
Similar picks around 16+
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.