Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Not for kids 17 and under
First Michael Myers slasher fest isn't for kids.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that, while the blood and gore are left to your imagination in this horror classic, there are numerous stabbings and slayings. And most (though not all) of the victims seem to be sexually active teenagers.
- Families can talk about what makes the movie so scary, especially because it doesn't fall back on using gore-makeup effects or fancy, swooping digital camera angles. Parents might point out that director Carpenter pays tribute to the science-fiction classic The Thing (1951), which took a similar straightforward approach to a homicidal space monster (and somehow avoided sex-minded teenagers and curse words in the process).
The good stuff
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Positive messages: Without Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie -- a realistically smart, brave teen who tries to protect the kids she babysits -- the film's cast would be a pretty unsympathetic bunch of shallow, hormonal teens (who disdain books and education) and nasty adults.
What to watch for
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Violence: Though the blood flow is left to the viewer's imagination, there are stabbings and strangulation, including one victim left hanging on a door (pinned by the knife). Another character is stuck in the eye with a wire hanger, and another falls down the stairs. One shooting. One of Myers' victims is the family dog.
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Sexy stuff: A teen girl is shown clad only in panties after sex. Another underage couple is shown in bed together.
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Language: Some PG-13-level swear words -- surprisingly it's nothing serious.
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Consumerism: Plugs for other movies admired by filmmaker John Carpenter, in clips from The Thing and Forbidden Planet.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: High schoolers smoke and drink beer.