The Following (2013)

The Following parents guide

Heads up on moderate sex and nudity, brutal violence, and graphic gore. That is past what the TV-14 on the box suggests. Beyond that, some strong language and a few tense moments.

Our estimate: fine from about 16, higher than the TV-14 suggests, because of the gore and violence.

Scare

Mildly scary

A few tense or eerie moments.

Jump scares

Several

More than a couple of sudden jolts.

Gore

Graphic gore

Blood and wounds shown clearly.

Violence

Brutal violence

Our top level for violence.

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 The Following scary?

Only a little. The Following has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.

How gory is The Following?

Graphic gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.

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

It is rated TV-14, with moderate sex and nudity, some strong language, and brutal violence. Your call for older kids.

What is The Following about?

Notorious serial killer Joe Carroll, after being found guilty of murdering 14 female students on the Virginia college campus where he taught literature, escapes from death row. The FBI calls former agent Ryan Hardy to consult on the case, as he was the one responsible for Carroll’s capture in 2003. Ryan, working closely with an FBI team, including Mike Weston and FBI Specialist Debra Parker, piece together the ever-growing web of murders orchestrated by the devious Carroll.

Cast and crew

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The Following is on our Whodunits, Crime on Tubi and Crime on The Roku Channel lists.

More like this feeling

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

• “a movie that will make me cry”
• “a thriller with a twist, no spoilers”
• “funny but not stupid, under two hours”

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