Parents: Violence and sex at odds with film age ratings

Spider-Man, “talk about shaving private areas”, and a movie “darker and a million times more scary than any Harry Potter film” were causes for concern among parents who contacted the Irish Film Classification Office this year.

Further documents released to the Irish Examiner by IFCO has revealed more of the complaints handled by Ger Connolly, director of Film Classification, and his office in the first six months of 2019.

In March a parent wrote to IFCO that they had to take their boys, aged four and five, out of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse early because “the violence was terrifying them”.

“It was sustained and far too graphic for such young eyes and minds,” the complainant said. “I based our movie choice on the rating, and feel very let down by it having been given a PG. It is in no way the same category as The Grinch, Ralph Breaks the Internet, or many of the other PG movies we saw over the past 12 months.

“I was terrified the boys would have nightmares. I would like to register a formal complaint,” they said.

Mr Connolly said he agreed the material in the film in question is “slightly more intense” than the films mentioned by the complainant, but is in line with other PG movies such as Coraline and The House With A Clock In Its Walls. He also pointed to IFCO guidelines that state:

Generally, a film classified as ‘PG’ will be suitable for children aged eight and over. However, as some elements within the film might be unsettling for some viewers, it is strongly recommended that parents/guardians —who know their own children best — consult the consumer advice available on this website before deciding on what is appropriate.

Mr Connolly said that while people may disagree with a classification for perfectly valid reasons, he believes Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse fits the guidelines for a PG film.

In February a parent emailed to complain about Instant Family, in which Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne play parents who adopt three young children.

“We went to see Instant Family today with my 14 and 11-year-old. It was absolutely unsuitable for any child under 15. The language was awful, constant use of bad language. Sexual content was definitely not suitable for 12/13/14 year olds. Sexual texts, grooming, talk about shaving private areas, IVF, suitability of a lady’s uterus. Has there been a complete loosening of standards? Horrified this was rated 12A. I will never trust your ratings again,” they wrote. Mr Connolly said he believed the 12A classification was consistent with IFCO guidelines.

“There is one use of strong language and, in my opinion, more frequent use of moderate terms and sexual innuendo which falls within the 12A band. The sexual content is also covered in our guidelines at 12A. We also take into account the overall context of a film and its message. In this instance all issues were resolved constructively within the family and there was no positive outcome for negative behaviours.”

In March a parent wrote to explain how they brought their three children, aged five, seven, and 10 to see the PG-rated The Kid Who Would Be King, and found themselves looking for the manager “within minutes” of the movie opening due to “a scary scene followed quickly by a terrifying scene”.

“I ran out of my seat to find a manager at the cinema to ask if the film got any more scary or if it brought closure. She found a colleague who had seen the film in its entirety and advised me that the film gets more frightening for sustained periods.” The parent took their children out after 25 minutes and moved them to another film.

“Once out of the film, all three of my children were relieved and immediately started asking me why the film had been so scary. My 10-year-old thanked me for moving into a new film.”

The parent said they felt ‘massively let down’ by the classification and said they had warned their friends about the film.

“In my opinion it is darker and a million times more scary than any Harry Potter film,” they wrote.

Assistant Film Classifier David Power said IFCO considered a 12 rating “unduly restrictive” for the film and that “frightening scenes should not be sustained but some stronger threat may be permissible in what is clearly a fantasy context”.

He said IFCO felt the scary scenes were in line with the first two Harry Potter films and also contained “plenty of positive themes about loyalty, friendship, family as well as a strong anti-bullying message”.