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Tuy nhiên, xếp hạng vẫn cung cấp thông tin rất hữu ích, đặc biệt đối với các bậc phụ huynh. Chúng giúp người xem có một ý tưởng về nội dung mà bộ phim chứa đựng và giúp cha mẹ quyết định xem liệu một bộ phim có phù hợp cho con cái của họ hay không.

 

Bài viết này sẽ cung cấp một số thông tin cơ bản về các xếp hạng khác nhau mà phim nhận được, cũng như các từ khóa bạn sẽ thấy khi chọn xem một bộ phim có phù hợp cho bạn hoặc con bạn hay không.

The 5 ratings of the MPA (the Motion Picture Association)

G

G is the lowest rating and stands for “General Audiences.”

The MPA refers to films with this rating as “All Ages Admitted.” In other words, anyone buying tickets for these films at a movie theater would be allowed inside. G-rated films do not contain anything that may be scary or inappropriate for kids. 

Examples of films with a G rating:

• The Lion King (1994)
• Ratatouille
• Toy Story
• Kiki's Delivery Service

PG

PG is the next highest rating and stands for “Parental Guidance,” or the longer version, “Parental Guidance Suggested.” 

While parents can let their children watch G movies with no worries, PG films may contain some things they may not want their children to see — or at least, to not see alone. This is generally the lowest rating you will see for most modern movies, even animated family films.

Examples of films with a PG rating:

• Paddington
• Spirited Away
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

PG-13

The descriptor for this rating is “Parents Strongly Cautioned.” 

As you can guess from the name, PG-13 films may not be appropriate for children under 13 years old. However, children are still allowed to see them.

Because most adults are not interested in G or PG movies, PG-13 is thought to be the most important rating to movie studios because it has the biggest possible audience for a film. That means PG-13 films have the best chance of making a lot of money!

Examples of films with a PG-13 rating:

• Barbie
• Top Gun: Maverick
• The Avengers: Endgame
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts I and II

R

“R” stands for "Restricted." 

This is the first rating that includes a strict rule: “Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian.” That means no one under 17 can watch an R-rated movie in a theater without having an adult with them.

These movies might contain things like strong language, violence, scenes of sexual activity or drug use. R is typically the highest rating most major movies receive.

Examples of films with an R rating:

• The Conjuring series 
• Deadpool & Wolverine
• Ted
• Bridesmaids

NC-17

NC-17 movies are for “Adults Only.” 

A parent taking their child to an NC-17 film would not be allowed to buy tickets or enter the theater. These movies typically have similar content to R films, but it may occur more frequently or in more detail. 

NC-17 films often don't receive as much promotion or attention as other movies. Therefore, movie studios usually try to avoid this rating. 

Unrated

The last rating isn't a rating at all! 

You may see "Unrated" (sometimes shortened to "UR" or "NR" for "Not Rated") before a film's trailer or on its promotional material. In some cases, it means a film simply hasn't received its official rating yet; some films, however, never get one.

Similar to the old and unofficial “X” rating, some films use the fact that they are unrated as a way to attract viewers interested in extra-violent or sexual content. However, unrated films do not necessarily contain those things. If you are not sure about what's in a movie, we recommend researching it online.

Common keywords in ratings

Although ratings help to give a general idea of what's in a film, you may still be confused about details. To help solve this problem, ratings have started including additional information.

Generally, a film's content is separated into a few major categories: 

• Language
• Violence
• Sexual content
• Thematic elements

Words you will see describing each category usually start with “light” or “mild,” which means there is only a small amount or that it is not very intense.

As the content of a film becomes more mature, you will see descriptors like “strong” or “pervasive,” which means it occurs many times throughout the film.

Language

The "language" descriptor means a movie may contain some "dirty" words that parents may not want their children to hear. Even PG and PG-13 films may have this descriptor, but it is generally not severe.

However, there may be other descriptors related to language, such as "crude humor," which refers to jokes about body functions.

Violence

Violence may be described in many ways, such as “cartoon violence,” “sci-fi violence,” or simply “action.” Many blockbuster films are described this way.

On the other hand, horror films may have stronger descriptors like “graphic violence” or “gore,” which means the film contains very dramatic or detailed scenes that are definitely not appropriate for children.

Sexual content

Sexual content is indicated by terms like "sexuality," “nudity” or “brief nudity” if it is on the screen for only a short time. These do not necessarily mean a film is bad for younger audiences. However, additional descriptors like "strong" or "intense" will warn you if they are.

Thematic elements

This category (also called “adult/mature themes”) is a little trickier to understand. Instead of specific words or scenes, it refers to the overall themes or topics in a movie. 

For example, films with this descriptor may feature things like drug use, disease, gambling, suicide, disasters or serious social issues. They may be topics younger viewers may not fully understand or may ask their parents about.

Extra resources

If you'd like to know more beyond the standard ratings, the popular movie website IMDb.com has information provided by other viewers that can help. After a film has been released, click the rating on any movie's main page to go to its Parents Guide, which has specific details about what the movie contains.