What Do Movie Ratings Mean? (2024)

What Do Movie Ratings Mean? (1)

How does a movie earn a G, PG, PG-13, R or NC-17 rating? The Motion Picture Association of America has set the following standards for films in order to help parents determine if the content is acceptable for viewing.

G — General Audiences. All Ages Admitted. A G-rated motion picture contains nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that, in the view of the Rating Board, would offend parents whose younger children view the motion picture. The G rating is not a “certificate of approval,” nor does it signify a “children’s” motion picture. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated motion pictures. Depictions of violence are minimal. No nudity, sex scenes or drug use are present in the motion picture.

PG — Parental Guidance Suggested. Some Material May Not Be Suitable For Children. A PG-rated motion picture should be investigated by parents before they let their younger children attend. The PG rating indicates, in the view of the Rating Board, that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, and parents should make that decision. The more mature themes in some PG-rated motion pictures may call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity and some depictions of violence or brief nudity. But these elements are not deemed so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated motion picture.

PG-13 — Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13. A PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by the Rating Board to parents to determine whether their children under age 13 should view the motion picture, as some material might not be suited for them. A PG-13 motion picture may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category. The theme of the motion picture by itself will not result in a rating greater than PG-13, although depictions of activities related to a mature theme may result in a restricted rating for the motion picture. Any drug use will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. More than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating, but such nudity in a PG-13 rated motion picture generally will not be sexually oriented. There may be depictions of violence in a PG-13 movie, but generally not both realistic and extreme or persistent violence. A motion picture’s single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating, as must even one of those words used in a sexual context. The Rating Board nevertheless may rate such a motion picture PG-13 if, based on a special vote by a two-thirds majority, the Raters feel that most American parents would believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context or manner in which the words are used or because the use of those words in the motion picture is inconspicuous.

R — Restricted. Children Under 17 Require Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian. An R-rated motion picture, in the view of the Rating Board, contains some adult material. An R-rated motion picture may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated motion pictures in determining their suitability for their children. Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures.

NC-17 — No One 17 and Under Admitted. An NC-17 rated motion picture is one that, in the view of the Rating Board, most parents would consider patently too adult for their children 17 and under. No children will be admitted. NC-17 does not mean “obscene” or “pornographic” in the common or legal meaning of those words, and should not be construed as a negative judgment in any sense. The rating simply signals that the content is appropriate only for an adult audience. An NC-17 rating can be based on violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other element that most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.

Source: MPAA

What Do Movie Ratings Mean? (2024)

FAQs

What Do Movie Ratings Mean? ›

Rated PG: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children. Rated PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Rated R: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Rated X: No one under 17 admitted.

What does NC-17 stand for? ›

abbreviation for

Trademark. no children 17 and under: a rating assigned to a movie by the MPA advising that persons under the age of 18 will not be admitted to a theater showing the film.

What do PG and R mean? ›

PG: PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED. Some material may not be suitable for children. PG-13: PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. R: RESTRICTED.

What is the difference between MA and R in movie rating system? ›

TV-Ma and R rated are the same. They are both very extreme in their amounts of violence, cussing, or sexual content. The difference being TV-Ma is for TV shows and R rated is for Movies. R rated and TV-MA are both recommended for 18+ unless you have Parental Guidance (I know that for TV shows they don't control that).

Is 4 out of 5 stars good? ›

While a 4-star rating may not be as exceptional as a 5-star, it means that the customer had a positive experience and is generally satisfied with the product. Still, there may be some slight adjustments needed. It's a positive rating that implies the customer will likely consider the brand for future purchases.

Why is Blonde rated NC-17? ›

Blonde's NC-17 rating generated a lot of buzz—especially about what it means for the film. The MPA cited “some sexual content” in giving the rating. In February, Blonde director Andrew Dominik told ScreenDaily that the movie will include a “graphic rape scene.” It is also said to feature a vaginal point-of-view shot.

What does a 0 on rotten tomatoes mean? ›

On the film review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, films that every surveyed critic considered bad have a 0% rating. As of 2023, only 40 films with 20 reviews have received this rating.

Why is it NC-17 and not NC 18? ›

NC-17 originally stood for "No Children Under 17 Admitted" to combat the misconception that the rating indicated a film was pornographic. In 1996, the MPA reworded the NC-17 rating to "No One 17 and Under Admitted", effectively raising the minimum age for admission from 17 to 18.

What does CTC mean in movies? ›

Check the Classification (CTC)

Advertising for a film or computer game which is unclassified will have 'Check the Classification' or CTC. You should check the classification closer to the release date of the film or computer game. Once the content is classified, the rating should appear on advertising.

What is a U-rated movie? ›

Films with the U certification are fit for unrestricted public exhibition and are family-friendly. These films can contain universal themes like education, family, drama, romance, sci-fi, action etc. These films can also contain some mild violence, but it cannot be prolonged.

What does nr mean in movies? ›

If a film has not been submitted for a rating or is an uncut version of a film that was submitted, the labels Not Rated (NR) or Unrated (UR) are often used.

What swear words are allowed in PG-13? ›

Some mild to moderate coarse language is allowed in PG and PG13 rated films; the word 'f**k' is also allowed infrequently at the PG13 category.

Does Netflix have any NC-17 movies? ›

Netflix's new original Marilyn Monroe movie, Blonde, marks the streaming service's first Nc-17 rated movie, due to its graphic depiction of sexual assault (as well as a point-of-view shot of a fetus in the womb).

Why is anyone but you rated R? ›

Rated R for language throughout, sexual content and brief graphic nudity.

What is the 5 rating system? ›

1 to 5 Numerical Rating Scale. This is a straightforward numeric scale where respondents rate something on a numerical scale from 1 to 5, with 1 representing the lowest or worst option and 5 representing the highest or best option. Such 1 to 5 numeric scales are often used for quick and simple assessments.

What is rated more than R? ›

The NC-17 rating is the highest rating (even higher than the R-rating) that a film can be given, and it means the movie is for adults only (ages 18 and older) and no one age 17 or younger will be admitted. This rating, prior to 1990, was previously rated X.

What is the 5-star rating scale label? ›

The 5-star rating system allows respondents to rank their feedback on a 5-point scale from 1 to 5. The more stars that are selected, the more positively your customer is responding to your question.

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