The Thin Blue Line: parents' guide
Best for ages 14 and up. Not formally rated.
A landmark true-crime documentary that suits thoughtful teens interested in justice or filmmaking. Errol Morris reexamines the 1976 killing of a Dallas police officer and argues that the wrong man was sentenced to death. Stylized reenactments replay the shooting several times, crime-scene photos show blood, and interviews include strong language, pot and drinking references, and talk of an affair. A drive-in movie shown in one reenactment has brief partial nudity. It is more cerebral than scary, which is why we suggest 14.
What's in it
Violence
ModerateThe officer's shooting is reenacted repeatedly, with close-ups of gunfire and a man falling dead. Crime-scene photos show blood, and interviews mention kidnapping, armed robbery, an electric chair and a later murder.
Language
StrongStrong language comes up at times in the interviews, including f-words, along with damn, hell, and insults like scum and pig aimed at police. One guide rates the overall language as heavy.
Sex and nudity
ModerateA reenactment shows a drive-in movie with a couple kissing and groping and partial nudity, though no breasts or genitals. Interviewees mention flirting and an affair.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModerateCigarettes are smoked on screen and ashtrays fill many shots. Interviewees talk about smoking pot, drinking beer and getting drunk, and a reenactment shows wine.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateNot a horror film, but the repeated reenacted killing, death-row stakes, an electric chair photo and a calm young man's unsettling interviews add tension. A child's accidental drowning is mentioned.
Worth talking about
The film shows how unreliable witnesses and pressure to convict can send an innocent man to death row. Discuss how memory can be wrong and what that means for the justice system.
On our lists
Similar picks around 14+
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.