Recently, my husband and sister took our nearly-13-year-old daughter, Emma, to see the superhero film, Wonder Woman, along with some friends and their children, aged 10 to 15. These kids are well-versed in the world of Marvel and DC, accustomed to a certain level of on-screen action and mild innuendo. While these films often feature hand-to-hand combat and fantastical violence, they typically shy away from explicit gore or graphic sexual content. Hence, we felt comfortable allowing Emma to attend Wonder Woman without a prior screening.
The film itself met our expectations, but the previews were a different story.
Upon returning home, my husband and sister recounted the trailer for the R-rated movie Atomic Blonde, featuring Charlize Theron. Although they aren’t particularly conservative, they found the content unsettling for the kids. The trailer was rife with intense violence (including a scene where a man is shot in the head) and explicit sexual content, both of which seemed designed to sell the film through shock value.
After the screening, my sister raised her concerns with the theater manager, who explained that trailers are matched to films based on genre. Since Atomic Blonde is categorized as an action movie, it was included with Wonder Woman. However, the content was far from appropriate for a younger audience enjoying a PG-13 superhero matinee.
I took the time to watch both the red-band (intended for mature audiences) and green-band (suitable for PG-13 viewers) trailers. Frankly, I noticed little distinction between them—the content was excessive for children. This was particularly concerning given that theaters understand that younger viewers frequently attend PG-13 films.
In my investigation, I found numerous complaints from other parents about equally unsuitable trailers shown before family-friendly movies. One mother recounted a trailer for Fifty Shades Darker playing during a screening of Beauty and the Beast. While this may have been an error, it underscores a troubling trend: inappropriate trailers are often the most problematic part of taking children to a family film.
Some might argue that kids encounter inappropriate material all the time, but that doesn’t negate the expectation of age-appropriate content in crowded theaters. It’s reasonable to assume that children under 13 will be watching films like Wonder Woman, especially during afternoon showings. Thus, it’s not a stretch to assert that graphic trailers for R-rated films are simply not suitable for these screenings.
Movie ratings can be subjective and inconsistent; I was surprised that The King’s Speech received an R rating for just a few scattered expletives. We watched it with our 10-year-old without hesitation. But a trailer for a graphic R-rated movie, particularly one devoid of appeal for tweens and teens, has no place before a PG-13 superhero film. Theaters should exercise discretion and reserve those intense trailers for more appropriate audiences.
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In summary, the inclusion of R-rated trailers before PG-13 films is a concerning trend that warrants attention from parents and theaters alike. It’s essential for theaters to consider the audience they are catering to and ensure that trailers align with the age-appropriateness of the films being shown.