Is The Pelican Brief scary?

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

How gory is The Pelican Brief?

Light gore and strong violence.

What is The Pelican Brief rated, and is it OK for kids?

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

The Pelican Brief (1993)

Film · 2h 21m · Rated PG-13

Crime, Drama, Thriller

A law student uncovers a vast conspiracy of murder and corruption, leading to a tense, gritty pursuit.

Suspenseful and pulpy. A full-attention watch at a measured pace. Emotionally it is heavy.

Streaming on YouTube (free).

Five more like this Get the app

The Pelican Brief parents guide

It stays inside its PG-13, with no sex or nudity and mild language.

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

Scare: Mildly scary; A few tense or eerie moments.
Jump scares: None noted
Gore: Light gore; Some blood or injury, briefly.
Violence: Strong violence; Violence is frequent or intense.
Sex and nudity: None noted
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 Pelican Brief scary?: Only a little. The Pelican Brief has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.
How gory is The Pelican Brief?: Light gore and strong violence.
What is The Pelican Brief rated, and is it OK for kids?: It is rated PG-13, with strong violence. Your call for older kids.