Scream: parents' guide
Best for ages 16 and up. Rated R for strong graphic horror violence and gore, and for language.
A sharp, self-aware slasher that horror-loving older teens often adore, but its violence is strong. A masked killer stalks high school students, who are stabbed, gutted and hanged with plenty of blood, starting with a terrifying opening sequence. The rape and murder of the heroine's mother a year earlier drives the plot. Language is frequent, with dozens of profanities and sexist slurs, teens drink at an unsupervised party, and a teen couple has sex off screen. Witty and influential, but the gore and sustained terror make it a 16-and-up pick.
What's in it
Violence
StrongRepeated bloody stabbings, a gutted body hung from a tree, a slit throat, a teen crushed in a garage door, the principal killed at school and shootings in the finale. The rape and murder of the heroine's mother is discussed throughout.
Language
StrongFrequent profanity: Movieguide counted 48 obscenities and 6 profanities, with many f-words, plus s-words and sexist slurs like 'bitch,' 'whore' and 'slut.'
Sex and nudity
ModerateTeens talk frankly about sex and virginity. A teen couple has sex off screen after she removes her top, with no breasts shown. Some clothed touching and phone-sex jokes.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModerateTeens drink beer at an unsupervised party, and characters drive after drinking. An adult smokes cigarettes. No drug use.
Scary or intense scenes
StrongSustained terror: a long, brutal opening where a teen is taunted by phone and then killed, constant stalking and jump scares, and a chaotic, bloody finale.
Sensitive topics
- Sexual assault
- Death of a parent
- School violence
Worth talking about
The film raises, and jokes about, the idea that horror movies make people violent. Talk about whether media can influence behavior, and why the movie pokes fun at that claim.
On our lists
Similar picks around 16+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, movieguide.org, tv.apple.com, Wikipedia. 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.