What is Scream rated, and is it OK for kids?

Rated R, and it earns it: real scares, lots of jump scares and strong violence. Not one for kids.

Scream (2022)

Film · 1h 54m · Rated R

Horror, Mystery

A new Ghostface killer targets teenagers, resurrecting dark secrets with brisk, witty, and gritty suspense.

Suspenseful and campy, with dry wit. A late-night trip at a brisk pace. Emotionally it carries some weight.

Streaming on Paramount+ and Pluto TV (free).

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Scream parents guide

No surprises for an R: real scares and lots of jump scares.

Scare: Properly scary; Frightening, not just tense.
Jump scares: Lots; Jump scares are a main device.
Gore: Graphic gore; Blood and wounds shown clearly.
Violence: Strong violence; Violence is frequent or intense.
Sex and nudity: Mild; Mild means innuendo, or sex implied off screen, with no nudity.
Language: Strong; Frequent strong profanity or slurs.

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 Scream scary?: Yes, properly. Scream is the real thing without being an endurance test.
How gory is Scream?: Graphic gore and strong violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.
What is Scream rated, and is it OK for kids?: Rated R, and it earns it: real scares, lots of jump scares and strong violence. Not one for kids.

What is Scream about?

Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.

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

It leaves the ending open to interpretation.