Red Dawn (2012)

Red Dawn parents guide

For a PG-13, this one goes further: brutal violence. Beyond that, no sex or nudity and some strong 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

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 Red Dawn scary?

Only a little. Red Dawn has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.

How gory is Red Dawn?

Light gore and brutal violence.

What is Red Dawn rated, and is it OK for kids?

It is rated PG-13, with some strong language and brutal violence. Your call for older kids.

What is Red Dawn about?

A city in Washington state awakens to the surreal sight of foreign paratroopers dropping from the sky—shockingly, the U.S. has been invaded and their hometown is the initial target. Quickly and without warning, the citizens find themselves prisoners and their town under enemy occupation. Determined to fight back, a group of young patriots seek refuge in the surrounding woods, training and reorganizing themselves into a guerrilla group of fighters.

Cast and crew

More like Red Dawn

• 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.
• Taken (2008)Tense · light gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA former operative unleashes relentless, high-octane fury to rescue his daughter from human traffickers.
• Die Hard (1988)Suspenseful · light gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA lone, off-duty cop battles relentless terrorists in a gritty, suspenseful high-rise siege.
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)Suspenseful · light gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA reprogrammed cyborg protects a young boy and his mother from a relentless, shape-shifting assassin.
• John Wick (2014)Gritty · graphic gore · brutal violence · relentlessA retired hitman unleashes relentless, high-octane fury on the gangsters who stole his last hope.
• Aliens (1986)Properly scary · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA space marine faces an alien horde in a relentless, gritty fight for survival.
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012)Suspenseful · light gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA relentless, gritty crime drama unfolds as a hero takes the fall to protect his city.
• The Terminator (1984)Suspenseful · light gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA relentless cyborg assassin hunts a woman across 1980s Los Angeles, sparking a gritty fight for the future.

More like this feeling

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

• “a thriller with a twist, no spoilers”
• “a horror movie that's actually scary”
• “scary but not gory”

Lists with the same feel: Most violent and Edge of your seat.