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How scary is Five Nights at Freddy's? The horror film's age rating is the same as Barbie

The terrifying animatronic horror animals are your first clue.

Five Nights at Freddy's pizza place logo
Image credit: Universal Pictures

It's usually easy to guess the age rating for most horror films, but most scary movies don’t feature adorable animatronic animals like you’ll find in Five Nights at Freddy’s. Add in the fact that the movie is based on a video game series that is surprisingly popular with both kids and adults and you can see why many parents will be wondering if they should take their tween to see the upcoming movie adaptation. Here is what we know about what sort of content will be in the film, including the Five Nights at Freddy’s age rating.

What is the age rating for Five Nights at Freddy’s in the US?

The MPAA has given Five Nights at Freddy’s a PG-13 rating, citing “strong violent content, bloody images, and language.” These elements might seem par for the course when it comes to horror movies but they actually make it slightly more difficult for some of the game’s biggest fans to see the film.

Interestingly, this is the same age rating the MPAA gave the Barbie movie over the summer, though that was primarily due to “suggestive references and brief language” rather than violent content. It does imply that Five Nights at Freddy’s will be as mature as a film about a children’s doll.

What is the age rating for Five Nights at Freddy’s in the UK?

The UK has a separate governing body when it comes to doling out age ratings for movies. The BBFC has given Five Nights at Freddy’s an age rating of 15. This is slightly higher than the US equivalent, owing to the violent content of the movie and the potential to frighten kids and young teenagers.

This higher age rating for Five Nights at Freddy’s will lock out even more of the film’s potential audience, though it will ultimately be up to parents whether they let their children see the new horror film based on the long-running game franchise.


Trent Cannon

Trent Cannon: Trent is a freelance writer who has been covering anime, video games, and pop culture for a decade. (He/Him)

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