Is Escape from New York scary?

Only a little. Escape from New York has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.

How gory is Escape from New York?

Light gore and strong violence.

What is Escape from New York rated, and is it OK for kids?

No. It is rated R, with moderate sex and nudity, strong violence, and some strong language.

Escape from New York (1981)

Film · 1h 39m · Rated R

Action, Sci-Fi, Sports, Thriller

A hardened war hero has one day to rescue the president from a lawless, island-sized maximum-security prison.

Pulpy and suspenseful. A full-attention watch at a brisk pace. Emotionally it carries some weight.

Streaming on Kanopy (free), The Roku Channel (free) and Plex (free).

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Escape from New York parents guide

Moderate sex and nudity, and strong violence, about what an R should carry.

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: Moderate; Moderate means a sex scene or nudity on screen, even brief, or sexual violence that is described or implied but never shown.
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 Escape from New York scary?: Only a little. Escape from New York has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.
How gory is Escape from New York?: Light gore and strong violence.
What is Escape from New York rated, and is it OK for kids?: No. It is rated R, with moderate sex and nudity, strong violence, and some strong language.

What is Escape from New York about?

In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam free. After the US president crash-lands inside, war hero Snake Plissken has 24 hours to bring him back.

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

Bittersweet. It earns its ending, but not everyone gets what they want.