Traffic (2000)

Traffic parents guide

It stays inside its R, with moderate sex and nudity, and strong violence.

Scare

Not scary

Jump scares

None noted

Gore

Light gore

Some blood or injury, briefly.

Violence

Strong violence

Violence is frequent or intense.

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

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 Traffic scary?

No. Traffic is not a scary watch.

How gory is Traffic?

Light gore and strong violence.

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

Rated R, and it earns it: moderate sex and nudity, strong violence, and frequent strong language. Not one for kids.

What is Traffic about?

An exploration of the United States of America's war on drugs from multiple perspectives. For the new head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the war becomes personal when he discovers his well-educated daughter is abusing cocaine within their comfortable suburban home. In Mexico, a flawed, but noble policeman agrees to testify against a powerful general in league with a cartel, and in San Diego, a drug kingpin's sheltered trophy wife must learn her husband's ruthless business after he is arrested, endangering her luxurious lifestyle.

Cast and crew

More like Traffic

• Joker (2019)Bleak · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingA measured descent into madness unfolds as a comedian's dark satire fuels Gotham's gritty, bleak chaos.
• Prisoners (2013)Suspenseful · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastatingA father's desperate search for his missing daughter descends into a bleak, gritty, and atmospheric nightmare.
• The Usual Suspects (1995)Suspenseful · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavyA low-level con man's intricate tale of a mythic crime lord unravels with gritty, suspenseful precision.
• The Silence of the Lambs (1991)Properly scary · graphic gore · strong violence · emotionally devastatingA brilliant, imprisoned psychopath offers chilling insights into a serial killer's mind, if a young agent dares to listen.
• Bound by Honor (1993)Gritty · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingThree family members navigate East LA gang life, their intimate bonds fraying under grim, measured violence.
• Donnie Brasco (1997)Gritty · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastatingAn FBI agent's undercover life with the mob slowly erodes his identity, leading to a melancholy, gritty immersion.
• Sleepers (1996)Gritty · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastatingFour friends carry a dark secret from a youth prison, seeking pulpy, bleak revenge years later.
• 21 Grams (2003)Bleak · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastatingThree strangers' lives intertwine after a tragic accident, revealing the bleak, intimate consequences of fate.

Traffic is on our Mob and gangsters list.

More like this feeling

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

• “a thriller with a twist, no spoilers”
• “a movie that will make me cry”
• “scary but not gory”

Lists with the same feel: Tearjerkers.