Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is rated PG-13 because, according to the Motion Picture Association of America, it contains “violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use.” That makes it one of the few sequels with a more adult rating than its predecessor. That’s because, believe it or not, the original Beetlejuice — a film that also contains violent content, macabre images, strong language, suggestive material, plus Michael Keaton grabbing his crotch, dropping F-bombs, and pawing at multiple female members of the cast — was somehow rated PG.
Like so much else about cinema, the appropriateness of a film’s content is very much subjective. What one person finds objectionable, another might find hilarious. (Or objectionable and hilarious, I suppose.) Plus, societal tastes and values change constantly. What modern eyes deem as vulgar, shocking, or disturbing today might have looked less offensive 25 years ago — or vice versa.
Nonetheless, with respect to the anonymous men and women who make up the MPAA’s film ratings board (seriously: Who were the ratings voters who thought Beetlejuice was cool for eight-year-olds?) there are some movies whose content seems way too mature to get an all-audiences rating. Like, for example, the 20 titles I’ve listed below. Regardless of what it is says on the MPAA Film Ratings website, I would argue that if you’re contemplating showing these films to young ones, then viewer discretion is strongly advised.
Movies That Are Shockingly Rated PG
These movies are filled with content that might not be suitable for younger kids. But they all received a PG rating anyway.
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