Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice parents guide

Brutal violence, which is more than most PG-13 titles carry. Beyond that, no sex or nudity and mild language.

Our estimate: fine from about 16, higher than the PG-13 suggests, because of the violence.

Scare

Mildly scary

A few tense or eerie moments.

Jump scares

A couple

One or two sudden jolts.

Gore

Light gore

Some blood or injury, briefly.

Violence

Brutal violence

Our top level for violence.

Sex and nudity

None noted

Language

Mild

Mild words like damn, hell or crap.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice scary?

Only a little. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.

How gory is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice?

Light gore and brutal violence.

What is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice rated, and is it OK for kids?

For teens, mostly: it is rated PG-13, with brutal violence.

What is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice about?

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

Cast and crew

More like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

• Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)Epic · party watch · brutal violence · emotionally heavyAn epic team of heroes assembles to face a relentless, gritty threat on a catastrophic scale.
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)Epic · family watch · strong violence · emotionally heavyA fellowship of heroes embarks on an epic, gritty adventure to destroy a powerful, corrupting ring.
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)Epic · family watch · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingRelentless action and suspense build to an epic battle for the world, filled with gritty, heartwarming adventure.
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)Epic · family watch · strong violence · emotionally heavyHeroes pursue separate, perilous paths as an ancient evil's power grows, threatening all Middle-earth.
• The Dark Knight (2008)Suspenseful · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavyA relentless, gritty crime thriller where a hero's war on chaos takes a darkly comic and epic turn.
• The Boys (2019)Dark satire · gritty · full attention · brutal violenceCorrupt superheroes meet their match as gritty vigilantes fight dirty with dark, satirical wit.
• The Odyssey (2026)Epic · full attention · strong violence · emotionally heavyA legendary king faces divine wrath and monstrous trials on a perilous, epic journey home.
• Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)Bleak · full attention · brutal violence · graphic goreDecimated heroes regroup for a relentless, gritty, and tragic war against an intergalactic tyrant.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is on our Action on Max and Fantasy on Max lists.

More like this feeling

Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.

• “a fun halloween movie, not too scary”
• “a movie that will make me cry”
• “funny but not stupid, under two hours”

Lists with the same feel: Epics and Most violent.