What is Case 39 rated, and is it OK for kids?

No. It is rated R, with real scares, several jump scares and strong violence.

Case 39 (2009)

Film · 1h 49m · Rated R

A social worker discovers chilling, dark forces surrounding a seemingly innocent girl, leading to gritty, brisk suspense.

Suspenseful and darkly comic. A full-attention watch at a brisk pace. Emotionally it is heavy.

Streaming on Paramount+ and YouTube (free).

Five more like this Get the app

Case 39 parents guide

Of what we could confirm, nothing runs past an R: real scares and several jump scares.

Scare: Properly scary; Frightening, not just tense.
Jump scares: Several; More than a couple of 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 Case 39 scary?: Yes, properly. Case 39 is the real thing without being an endurance test.
How gory is Case 39?: Light gore and strong violence.
What is Case 39 rated, and is it OK for kids?: No. It is rated R, with real scares, several jump scares and strong violence.

What is Case 39 about?

In her many years as a social worker, Emily Jenkins believes she has seen it all, until she meets 10-year-old Lilith and the girl's cruel parents. Emily's worst fears are confirmed when the parents try to harm the child, and so Emily assumes custody of Lilith while she looks for a foster family. However, Emily soon finds that dark forces surround the seemingly innocent girl, and the more she tries to protect Lilith, the more horrors she encounters.

Does it have a happy ending? (spoiler-safe)

There is a twist, and that is all we are saying.