'How on earth could you rate Suicide Squad 16?' among complaints to Irish Film Censor

The father of a teenager not allowed to see the movie, Suicide Squad, said “stupid decisions” had ruined their night. Photo: PA/Warner Brothers

A ban on a child going to see the Suicide Squad, and one person’s “terror and guilt” about bringing their child to see an unexpectedly violent movie were among the criticisms received by the Irish Film Censor last year.

However, the number of complaints to the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO) tumbled last year with cinemas forced to close for long periods due to Covid-19 restrictions. Figures from IFCO reveal that 20 formal complaints were lodged in 2019, but there have been just nine in the period since then.

That included only three last year with one parent writing of how they felt “irresponsible” after bringing their 12-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter to see the film ‘Free Guy’.

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They wrote: “I went through emotions of terror and guilt at bringing my kids to this movie as constant violence and language unfolded on the screen.” Eventually, her son turned to her and said: “Mammy, I don’t like this movie, it’s scary and too violent … at that point, I decided, right, let’s get out of here.” 

The mother went home and again watched the trailer for the film with her husband but said it gave no sense of what was in store in the actual movie.

“There were no signs from the trailer of the violence and killings and language it contained,” she said. 

“It was indeed a very stressful experience and I simply ask that you pay particular interest to movies like this in the future and to be extremely careful in selecting their age appropriateness.”

Suicide Squad

Another family had the opposite complaint after their 13-year-old son was refused entry to the ‘Suicide Squad’, which was rated 16.

“What world are you people living in?” they wrote in their complaint, “he was with me, [and] his mother but still wasn’t allowed to enter.”  The father said they had gone home and watched a movie on Netflix, which they were sure was more violent than the one they were refused access to.

The complaint said: “I think you people want to totally destroy the film industry. 

There is nothing in the Suicide Squad, so how on earth could you rate it 16?

He said “stupid decisions” had ruined their night and that it should be up to parents to decide what their children can and cannot see.

In the Earth

Another complaint said the horror movie ‘In the Earth’ had been harshly given a classification for only those over 18.

It said: “While undoubtedly graphic and unpleasant, the foot amputation scene was in a medical context and compared to other psychedelic/horror films like Midsommar, I don’t think the violence here was nearly as excessive or gratuitous.” 

The complaint said that for a film with “heavy psychedelic elements” like ‘In the Earth’, a 16 rating would have been much more suitable.

“Overall, I’m just wondering your reason for an 18 cert … as it seemed inconsistent with other decisions,” they said.

A spokesman said: “All complaints are forwarded to the Director of Film Classification who responds directly to the complainant.

“IFCO welcomes such input, and this feedback informs any re-evaluation of classification guidelines and age bands ensuring that they are properly reflective of the public expectation of the office.”