Bowling for Columbine (2002)

Bowling for Columbine parents guide

What we could confirm fits an R: strong violence and some strong language.

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

Strong violence

Violence is frequent or intense.

Sex and nudity

None flagged

It is rated R, so treat our zero as unconfirmed.

Language

Moderate

Some strong profanity, a few f-words.

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 Bowling for Columbine scary?

Only a little. Bowling for Columbine has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.

How gory is Bowling for Columbine?

Light gore and strong violence.

What is Bowling for Columbine rated, and is it OK for kids?

Rated R, and it earns it: strong violence and some strong language. Not one for kids.

What is Bowling for Columbine about?

This is not a film about gun control. It is a film about the fearful heart and soul of the United States, and the 280 million Americans lucky enough to have the right to a constitutionally protected Uzi. From a look at the Columbine High School security camera tapes to the home of Oscar-winning NRA President Charlton Heston, from a young man who makes homemade napalm with The Anarchist's Cookbook to the murder of a six-year-old girl by another six-year-old. Bowling for Columbine is a journey through the US, through our past, hoping to discover why our pursuit of happiness is so riddled with violence.

Cast and crew

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Bowling for Columbine is on our Drama on The Roku Channel and Documentary lists.

More like this feeling

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

• “a movie that will make me cry”
• “a thriller with a twist, no spoilers”
• “funny but not stupid, under two hours”

Lists with the same feel: Tearjerkers and Dark.