Is PG13 horror possible?

[spider-neil]

Can you make a scary movie with such a young rating.
Are there go examples of scary movies with that rating?

 

[Dr.]

The original Poltergeist was PG. Admittedly, this remains controversial. Initially, it was rated R. But after appeals by producers/studio, it was changed to PG. At the time (1982) the PG-13 designation did not exist.

Jaws was also PG. Scary. But perhaps not technically "horror."

 

[Xarus]

Can you make a scary movie with such a young rating.
Are there go examples of scary movies with that rating?

What did you think was going to happen? A doctor strange movie needs at least a 160-170 million budget due to extensive and complex vfx work. There is no way any studio green light an r-rated movie with thay budget. Be glad that they decided to add horror in the sequel.

Strange isnt a horror character like ghost rider. He is fantastical and weird. Very few stories of his are truly horror ones if any.

I dont want people have unrealistic expectations. Marvel didnt have any obligation to add horror based on the source material.

 

[psylockolussus]

A Quiet Place got a pg 13 rating, and thats just 1 example.

 

[imbruglia]

here are some from boxofficemojo, horror genre

The Sixth Sense (1999)
What Lies Beneath (2000)
The Ring (2002)
The Grudge (2004)
The Others (2001)
The Haunting (1999)
Insidious Chapter 2 (2013)
The Ring Two (2005)
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
1408 (2007)
Mama (2013)
Insidious: The Last Key (2018)
Lights Out (2016)
White Noise (2005)
The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
The Woman in Black (2012)
Insidious (2011)

rating is more to do with blood, swearing, direct showing of strong violence.

 

[MaceB]

Yeah, think of Horror as a cinematic style. It comes with it's own tropes, and tempo, and look. The next Doctor Strange is going to use those tropes to create a horror effect. I'm sure it'll be dark. It'll have a suspenseful orchestral composition, maybe in minor key. I imagine there could be very relatable moments that depict them in serious dread and psychological torment.

But, no babies or puppies are going to die... no blood will be shown.. no curse words spoken. Does that lesson the ability to be truly terrifying? Ehh... it's a road block. One that is difficult to navigate, but not impossible. Other filmmakers have done it before. A film like 1408 may not be as terrifying as "jump in your seat" slasher movies.. but I'd still call it horror personally, and I liked it!

 

[spider-neil]

6th Sense is definitely scary.

 

[MahvelBaby!]

In theaters now scary stories to tell in the dark is pg13 and received pretty well.

 

[Silvermoth]

Isn’t ghostbusters PG as well? So they’re probably ok as long as someone catches a pie with their face right after the spooky bits

 

[Yowza]

PG-13 was first started July 1984. Still, G was for general audiences and PG movies in the '80's sometimes had nudity (16 Candles for instance).

A lot of socially accepted norms may vary 1 decade to the next. The Ring I thought had a creep factor as did even corny films like Darkness Falls (the Freddy Kruger like Tooth Fairy; a film with poor reviews but I saw as a teenager so wasn't too critical). Anyway, horror being done in the MCU I don't think will happen.

I sensed a controlled and measured tone from Kevin Feige concerning this at comic con perhaps suggesting that the film will be more trippy and surreal with maybe a tinge of fairy tale like horror thrown into the mix to make things feel less stale to some people in the general audience for the sequel.

 

[Silvermoth]

It’s funny because whenever they imply horror it’s always way scarier than when they just show it

 

[Albright]

R-Rating has a lot to do with bad language and blood usage.
Lots of the scary It-scenes could be PG13, like Pennywise appearing out of the projector or the fridge. Or that puppet scene with Richie
I‘m more concerned for Blade, because you can‘t do vampires without blood

 

[Silvermoth]

They did in twilight.


Lolololololol

 

[JimThompson]

Not only is it possible, it might make for a more scary experience.

 

[Yowza]

I think it's harder to make a PG-13 movie that's tonally serious now than it was a decade ago. It just seems a lot of PG-13 movies are edited in such a way as to make things less intense as opposed to just pushing and pushing an intense scene that isn't intercut or cuts away all too fast. Popularity and social norms play a key role in terms of what's acceptably portrayed to a younger audience besides the obvious graphic stuff quite often so that really can make things an endeavor going through the MPAA editing it down.

 

[MovieSlave]

Horror is all about mood, atmosphere and subject matter. Doesn't have to have R rated violence. So if the director is given enough freedom this could hopefully be a unique MCU film.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Eh... "Mood" and "atmosphere" aren't whipped up out of nowhere though. The film's content which would include onscreen violence in the story or indeed visuals. They contribute to mood and atmosphere.

Gremlins one is a film bursting to the seams with horror and I would not argue one bit with someone saying it's obviously a horror/monster film. The content and visuals certainly make that case. Yes, the gremlins have many moments where they are used for levity and could be viewed merely as anarchic, even charmingly so.

But take a closer view and you get that in that first film the moments of whimsy and humor are far outweighed by the scenes and moments where they are presented as gleeful murder machines. And it gets pretty rough at times. The scenes with Billy's mom getting attacked and fighting them off is intense. Billy gets attacked in myriad ways by the creatures including getting clawed up, taking crossbow bolts, chainsaws, and guns. And none of that is shown in a funny way. The violence is presented as mostly threatening to the audience and outside of the Snow White theater scene and the bar scene, they aren't too kooky. They are the obviously near demonic forces that have to be stopped. Interesting side note is that Gremlins was along with Temple Of Doom and some other popular movies, a main reason to create the PG-13 rating.

Compare Gremlins and its sequel and you see what a difference content and visuals make in creating mood and atmosphere. Unlike the first movie the creatures are a lot less, well, threatening. The violence and SFX are less palpable and way more cartoony. Two films, same director, same concept and characters but the mood and atmosphere between them is night and day.

 

[metaphysician]

That presumes the only possible source of unease is the threat of physical violence. There are much, much worse hazards one can imply, or flat out show, without a thing that would require an R-rating. Try watching 'Moon', if you have not already seen it.

 

[Iceman]

There were some nice Raimi horror nods here without going over the top with it. Not scary but more like paying tribute to his history with horrror.