The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones parents guide

Some innuendo or implied sex and mild language, about what a PG-13 should carry.

Our estimate: fine from about 13. Rated PG-13.

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

Mild

Mild means innuendo, or sex implied off screen, with no nudity.

Language

Mild

Mild words like damn, hell or crap.

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 Mortal Instruments: City of Bones scary?

Only a little. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.

How gory is The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones?

Light gore and strong violence.

What is The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones rated, and is it OK for kids?

Better for teens than younger kids: it is rated PG-13, with strong violence.

What is The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones about?

In New York City, Clary Fray, a seemingly ordinary teenager, learns that she is descended from a line of Shadowhunters — half-angel warriors who protect humanity from evil forces. After her mother disappears, Clary joins forces with a group of Shadowhunters and enters Downworld, an alternate realm filled with demons, vampires, and a host of other creatures. Clary and her companions must find and protect an ancient cup that holds the key to her mother's future.

Cast and crew

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The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is on our Vampires and Mystery on Netflix lists.

More like this feeling

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

• “a thriller with a twist, no spoilers”
• “a fun halloween movie, not too scary”
• “a horror movie that's actually scary”

Lists with the same feel: Party.