Is Mercury Rising scary?

Only a little. Mercury Rising has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.

How gory is Mercury Rising?

Light gore and strong violence.

What is Mercury Rising rated, and is it OK for kids?

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

Mercury Rising (1998)

Film · 1h 51m · Rated R

Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

A renegade FBI agent protects an autistic boy whose code-breaking skills put them both in grave danger.

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

Not on a US subscription service as of Oct 29, 2026.

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Mercury Rising 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 Mercury Rising scary?: Only a little. Mercury Rising has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.
How gory is Mercury Rising?: Light gore and strong violence.
What is Mercury Rising rated, and is it OK for kids?: Rated R, and it earns it: strong violence and some strong language. Not one for kids.