What is The Fog rated, and is it OK for kids?

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

The Fog (1980)

Film · 1h 30m · Rated R

Horror

A mysterious iridescent fog descends on a coastal town as dark secrets about its founding emerge.

Suspenseful. A late-night trip at a measured pace. Emotionally it carries some weight.

Streaming on Prime Video, Peacock, Kanopy (free), Fandango at Home (free) and Plex (free).

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The Fog 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 The Fog scary?: Yes, properly. The Fog is the real thing without being an endurance test.
How gory is The Fog?: Light gore and strong violence.
What is The Fog rated, and is it OK for kids?: No. It is rated R, with real scares, several jump scares and strong violence.

What is The Fog about?

Strange things begin to occur as a tiny California coastal town prepares to commemorate its centenary. Inanimate objects spring eerily to life; Rev. Malone stumbles upon a dark secret about the town's founding; radio announcer Stevie witnesses a mystical fire; and hitchhiker Elizabeth discovers the mutilated corpse of a fisherman. Then a mysterious iridescent fog descends upon the village, and more people start to die.

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

It leaves the ending open to interpretation.