Top 20 Movies That Had The Wrong Age Rating

The motion picture rating system has evolved significantly over the decades to help guide parents and audiences. Many classic films received classifications that seem baffling by modern standards due to shifting cultural norms or gaps in the rating categories available at the time. Some movies contain shocking violence or adult themes despite carrying a family-friendly label. Others received harsh restrictions for minor infractions that would barely register with viewers today. These inconsistencies have led to some of the most controversial and confusing ratings in cinema history.

‘Poltergeist’ (1982)

Tobe Hooper directed this supernatural horror film that traumatized a generation of children with its intense scares. The movie contains scenes of a man tearing his own face off and a clown doll attacking a young boy. It received a PG rating because the PG-13 classification did not exist at the time of its release. Many viewers argue it remains one of the most intense horror films ever marketed toward families.

‘Jaws’ (1975)

Steven Spielberg terrorized beachgoers with this thriller about a giant man-eating shark. The film features severed limbs and clouds of blood that turn the ocean red during the attacks. A jump scare involving a severed head remains one of the most shocking moments in cinema history. Despite the intense gore and sustained tension the film secured a PG rating upon its release.

‘Gremlins’ (1984)

This horror comedy features small creatures that transform into malicious monsters when fed after midnight. The film includes a scene where a gremlin explodes in a microwave and another is blended in a food processor. Parents were shocked to find such graphic violence in a movie rated PG. It was one of the primary catalysts that forced the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating.

‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ (1984)

Steven Spielberg crafted a dark prequel that plunged the archaeologist into a cult practicing black magic. One infamous scene depicts a man having his heart ripped out of his chest while he is still alive. The film also features child slavery and intense scenes of peril that pushed the boundaries of the PG rating. This movie worked alongside ‘Gremlins’ to force the industry to update its rating system.

‘Watership Down’ (1978)

This British animated film tells the story of a group of rabbits fleeing the destruction of their warren. The animation style looks deceptive and innocent yet the film is filled with bloody violence and suffocating death. Scenes of rabbits tearing each other apart and getting caught in snares are incredibly graphic. Many parents mistakenly rented this title believing it was a gentle children’s cartoon due to the PG rating.

‘Airplane!’ (1980)

The Zucker brothers directed this parody film that is stuffed with adult humor and visual gags. It features brief female nudity and constant drug references throughout the runtime. The dialogue includes sexual innuendos that fly over the heads of younger viewers but are glaringly obvious to adults. Somehow this spoof comedy managed to slide by with a PG rating despite the mature content.

‘Ghostbusters’ (1984)

Three parapsychologists start a ghost-catching business in New York City in this sci-fi comedy. The film features a scene not made for kids, that involves a ghost during a dream sequence. Characters frequently smoke cigarettes and use mild profanity during their supernatural investigations. The terrifying library ghost and demon dogs were also quite intense for a PG audience.

‘Beetlejuice’ (1988)

Tim Burton directed this gothic fantasy about a deceased couple trying to scare away new residents. The titular character makes lewd gestures and swears during the climax. Grotesque imagery includes characters pulling their faces off and shrinking heads in the waiting room of the afterlife. The rating board deemed these macabre elements acceptable for a PG classification.

‘Spaceballs’ (1987)

Mel Brooks parodied the sci-fi genre with this film that includes his signature brand of adult humor. The movie features swearing that is clearly audible during a scene involving a radar malfunction. Sexual innuendos regarding the size of lightsabers are prevalent throughout the script. It remains a prime example of 1980s comedies that pushed the limits of the PG rating.

‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ (1988)

This live-action and animated hybrid explores a mystery set in a gritty version of 1940s Hollywood. Jessica Rabbit is a highly sexualized character who famously claims she is just drawn that way. The villain Judge Doom commits frightening acts of violence including dipping a squeaking shoe into acid. Alcohol use and adult themes make this PG film surprisingly mature for a Disney release.

‘The King’s Speech’ (2010)

Colin Firth stars as King George VI as he attempts to overcome a severe stammer. The film received an R rating solely due to a single scene where the King shouts profanities in frustration. Critics and audiences felt the rating was harsh given the therapeutic context of the language. The rest of the film is a mild historical drama suitable for a much wider audience.

‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (1981)

Indiana Jones races Nazis to find the Ark of the Covenant in this action classic. The climax involves supernatural spirits melting the faces of the villains in gruesome detail. People are shot and impaled throughout the adventure while propellers shred a large mechanic. The PG rating allowed children to see visceral gore that would likely garner a harsher rating today.

‘Return to Oz’ (1985)

Disney produced this unofficial sequel to the 1939 classic with a much darker tone. Dorothy returns to a ruined Oz where heads are stored in cabinets and characters have wheels for hands and feet. The Wheelers and the Nome King provided nightmare fuel for children expecting a musical fantasy. It stands as one of the most terrifying PG movies ever released by the studio.

‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ (1996)

Disney tackled heavy themes of religious hypocrisy and lust in this animated musical. The villain Frollo sings a song about his burning desire for Esmeralda while visualizing her in flames. The word damnation is used and the tone is significantly darker than typical G-rated fare. Many believe it warranted a PG rating for its thematic intensity.

‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ (1987)

Steve Martin and John Candy star in this road trip comedy about trying to get home for Thanksgiving. The film holds an R rating almost exclusively because of one scene where Steve Martin unleashes a tirade of swears. The rest of the movie is a heartwarming story about friendship and family. A censored version often plays on television with a lighter rating to accommodate younger viewers.

‘Billy Elliot’ (2000)

A young boy in a mining town pursues his passion for ballet despite his father’s objections. The R rating was assigned due to the pervasive strong language used by the working-class characters. The themes of artistic expression and acceptance are valuable for teenagers who were restricted from seeing it. Many argued the language was authentic rather than gratuitous and did not warrant the restrictive rating.

‘Sixteen Candles’ (1984)

John Hughes directed this coming-of-age comedy about a girl whose family forgets her birthday. The film contains a scene featuring full-frontal female nudity in a shower. Casual racism and issues regarding consent date the film significantly compared to modern standards. The PG rating it holds does not reflect the mature content present in the story.

‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’ (1971)

Gene Wilder stars as the eccentric candy maker in this musical adaptation. The boat ride through the tunnel features psychedelic imagery of chickens getting their heads cut off. A man claims the suspense will last until he dies while screams fill the soundtrack. The G rating suggests a wholesome experience that the tunnel scene directly contradicts.

‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

Christopher Nolan delivered a grounded superhero crime saga featuring Heath Ledger as the Joker. The villain slams a man’s head onto a pencil to kill him in a scene that shocked audiences. The overall tone is oppressive and the threat of terrorism is constant throughout the plot. It tested the upper limits of PG-13 and many felt it bordered on an R rating.

‘Midnight Cowboy’ (1969)

This drama about a naive hustler and a con man in New York City won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was originally rated X due to its frank depiction of sexuality and drug use. The rating was later adjusted to R without any changes to the film itself. It remains a historic example of how rating standards shift over time.

Tell us which movie rating shocked you the most in the comments.