Age Rating of Gremlins: Parents Guide (7 Big Things)
Gremlins is rated PG so a lot of parents might be thinking, cool, my little kids can watch it! But Gen X parents beware: PG of 1984 is NOT the PG of the 2020s. So what is the true age rating of Gremlins? Can your kids watch this one? We’re coving the 7 big things parents need to know about the age rating of Gremlins (1984) in this parents guide.
Table of Contents
About Gremlins (1984)
With its Christmas lights and dusting of snow, Kingston Falls is an idyllic small town–until the gremlins take over.
A father returns from Chinatown with an unusual pet, a Mogwai–a gift for his son.
The rules are simple: Keep your Mogwai away from water, bright lights, and, most importantly, never–never–feed him after midnight.
But the rules are inadvertently broken, and the consequences multiply at an alarming rate.
Watch the Gremlins trailer here.
Age Rating of Gremlins: Parents Guide (7 Big Things)
Is Gremlins a Halloween movie (horror) or a Christmas movie? Maybe a little of both.
There are certainly some creepy, scary, and gory moments that happen during this Christmastime movie.
So can your kids watch this one? What is the age rating of Gremlins?
This parent’s guide will help you decide if your family can handle the seven big issues with movies and shows: mature topics, gore, violence, language, sex, romance, and nudity. We’ll also give the age rating of Gremlins and age-appropriate recommendations.
Language
There’s a bit of language used in this movie.
It’s not too bad on the frequency or type scale, but there are some words that may not be kid-friendly in Gremlins for your family.
Your kids will hear:
- crap
- d@mn/g-dd@mn/other variants
- j@sus
- h@ll
- one character calls someone a “glue sniffer”
Age Rating of Gremlins: Is It Safe For Kids When It Comes To Sex, Romance, and Nudity?
Gremlins is safe is this area.
There is a romance but nothing sexual happens on screen.
And there is no nudity in Gremlins.
Violence and Gore: Is Gremlins Too Scary For Kids Under 10?
This is the biggest area of concern for deciding if your tweens or younger can watch Gremlins.
It’s a scary movie at points and there are quite a few gory and violent scenes you may need a refresher on. 1984 was a long time ago, friends!
Here are a few of the highlights to be aware of:
- a woman talks about slowly killing the main character’s dog and putting him in her dryer in order to do that
- a dog (alive) strung up to a pole in Christmas lights
- character is found dead with a syringe sticking out of him
- nice gremlin is secured to a dart board, visibly scared, darts are thrown at him
- one gremlin is blended up in a blender
- one gremlin stabbed multiple times
- one gremlin is microwaved (and he explodes)
- gremlins attack a character, choking and scratching her
- one gremlin is burned alive
- gremlins drive through a house and run over two characters with a snowplow
- one character is shot out of the top-floor window of her house
- cars frequently crash into/through buildings, occasionally flip
- one gremlin is shot by another gremlin
- gremlins explode/are set on fire when characters fill a room with gas and set it on fire
- character is shot in the arm with an arrow
- a gremlin melts pretty graphically
Can you believe this was PG back when we were kids? Gen X was just built differently or something- ha!
Is Gremlins Ok For Kids: Mature Topics
If all the violence doesn’t make you reconsider Gremlins as a family night movie, maybe some of the mature topics covered will.
There are blunt statements about suicide rates at Christmas, “opening their wrists”
A very drunk man is at bar and is escorted out.
Gremlins drink and smoke a lot in one scene.
And most tragically is this Christmas backstory.
Santa Alert: One character describes the graphic and tragic Christmas-related death of her father, including him breaking his neck in their chimney and her lighting a fire beneath him on accident.
This was how she knew there wasn’t a Santa anymore, so please keep this message in mind if you plan to show it to younger children.
Age Rating of Gremlins: What Ages Can Really Watch This One?
Gremlins is rated PG (from 1984) for language, horror elements and violence.
Parents Guide: Is Gremlins Appropriate For Kids Under 10?
Honestly, Gremlins should be a PG-13 movie, and parents who were kids of the 80s might need that gentle reminder.
Gremlins was one of the movies that prompted the addition of a PG-13 rating, for what it’s worth.
If your younger kids are ok with scary, creepy stuff (say they love Stranger Things), then you can probably go as young as 10 for Gremlins. But we think it might be best for kids 12 and up.
Where To Stream The Christmas Movies You Love
- Christmas Movies to Stream on Hulu
- Christmas Movies to Stream on Amazon
- Christmas Movies For Kids to Stream on Netflix
- Christmas Movies to Stream on Disney+
More Parents Guides
- Age Rating of Elf: Parents Guide (7 Big Things)
- Age Rating of Wakanda Forever: Parents Guide (7 Big Things)
- Age Rating of Prey For The Devil: Parents Guide (7 Big Things)
- Age Rating of Willow (1988): Parents Guide (7 Big Things)
- Age Rating Of Ticket To Paradise: Parents Guide (7 Big Things)
- Age Rating of Black Adam: Parents Guide (7 Big Things)
- Age Rating For Halloween Ends: Parents Guide (7 Big Things)
Want More Age Rating Recommendations?
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Patty Holliday is a parent movie reviewer, writer, and podcaster living in the Washington, DC area. Her goal is to bridge the gap between casual fandom and picky critic with parent movie and television reviews. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.
