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Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and Ashlyn Sanchez in The Happening (2008)

Parents guide

The Happening

Content rating

  • Motion Picture Rating (MPA)
    Rated R for violent and disturbing images

  • Sex & Nudity:
    None
  • Violence & Gore:
    Severe
  • Profanity:
    Mild
  • Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking:
    None
  • Frightening & Intense Scenes:
    Moderate

Sex & Nudity

None
48 of 59 found this to have none

Violence & Gore

Severe
38 of 76 found this severe
As some construction men talk, there's a loud bang near them and they realize it's one of their crewmembers who's fallen a long distance to the street below, dead from the impact. Another construction worker then similarly hits the street, followed by the sound of others doing the same. Many men flinging themselves off a building and plummeting toward the street. Not bloody.
A man shoots himself in the head: the camera cuts and we see the bullet hole; another man picks up that same gun and shoots himself in the head, followed by a woman. Both times, the camera cuts away, and we only see the aftermath briefly. A man shoots himself, we then we hear multiple gunshots and it is implied that others are killing themselves as well. Only slightly bloody.
We see video footage on a cell phone that shows a man standing in a zoo's lion exhibit, walking over toward them, etc. The camera then moves about during the first attack, but we then see the man standing there, missing one arm, followed by a lion grabbing and yanking off his other (Very bloody and graphic).
A man watches from a distance as an infected man starts a large, industrial lawn mower, sets it into motion, and then lies down in front of it. We see the mower running over the man (for a brief moment we see the blood spraying under the grass).
With a man and the others pulling up the rear of a group traveling on foot, we see the front section come to a halt, with an Army private now under the spell. He removes his handgun, and we later hear a gunshot, and then several more (as people apparently commit suicide with it).
We hear a girl jump out of a window on a cell phone call (nothing is shown).
As a woman sits on a park bench with her friend in a park, she hears a distant scream and then notices that everyone is frozen in their tracks, save for her and a few people who are slowly walking backwards. Her friend then slowly removes a long hairpin from the back of her head and equally slowly drives it into her own neck, pushing it in (we see a little blood around the insertion point).
After a boy kicks at the door of some holed-up people, a shotgun blast rips through this torso (with bloody results). We then see a shotgun or rifle barrel sticking out and aiming at another boy. A man sees that too late as the shot hits that boy (we don't see the impact, but do see the body).
A man shoots himself. We hear the gun go off, but we do not see this action happen.
Several gunshots are heard in the background of a scene. It's implied that it was people shooting themselves in the head.

Profanity

Mild
34 of 50 found this mild
2 scatological terms, 2 anatomical terms, 3 mild obscenities, 1 religious profanity. Uses of pussy and bitch are heard by two teenage boys.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

None
39 of 43 found this to have none
A man holds a fake glass of wine in his hands.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

Moderate
30 of 60 found this moderate
The movie has some upsetting and violent scenes, but they aren't overly graphic.
A group of people and a soldier get killed off-screen.
Realizing the toxin is in the air, a man and the others try to flee from the wind blowing their direction.
Many people in the movie commit suicide after being infected by a neurotoxin that is released by plants. Some of them are not graphic but briefly bloody.
People suspect and discuss the possibility of a biological terrorist attack.

Certifications

Edit
  • Argentina
    • 13
  • Australia
    • MA15+
  • Austria
    • 14
  • Brazil
    • 16
  • Canada
    • 14AAlberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario
    • 13+Quebec
  • Denmark
    • 15
  • Finland
    • K-15
  • France
    • Tous publics avec avertissement
    • 12re-rating
    • Accord parentalvideo
  • Germany
    • 16
    • 16cut, theatrical version
  • Hong Kong
    • IIB
  • Hungary
    • 16
  • Iceland
    • 16
  • India
    • Acinema release, Mumbai
    • UAre-rating
  • Ireland
    • 15A
    • 15video
  • Israel
    • 16
  • Italy
    • VM14
  • Japan
    • PG-12
  • Malaysia
    • U
  • Mexico
    • B
  • Netherlands
    • 16
  • New Zealand
    • R13
  • Norway
    • 152008, cinema rating
  • Philippines
    • R-13MTRCB
  • Poland
    • 12self-applied
  • Portugal
    • M/12
  • Russia
    • 16+
  • Singapore
    • PG
    • NC-16DVD rating
    • NC16Netflix
  • South Africa
    • 16
  • South Korea
    • 18
    • 15cable rating
  • Spain
    • 13
  • Sweden
    • 15
  • Switzerland
    • 14canton of Geneva
    • 14canton of Vaud
  • Taiwan
    • 12+
  • Turkey
    • 13+self-applied
  • United Kingdom
    • 15
  • United States
    • TV-MALV, TV rating
    • Rcertificate #44343
  • United Arab Emirates
    • 15+Blu-ray rating

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