Movies Parents Shouldn’t Allow Their Children to Watch (Part 1)
Movies are a great tool for character development. However, there are some movies that parents should not let their kids watch and here’s a list of some of these movies!
Ready or Not
When teaching children, marriage is a topic that is often forgotten or overlooked. However, today parents are teaching their children about this important institution by exposing them to sweet and romantic wedding movies. Some feature weddings as pivotal or life-changing moments while others depict marriages as fairytale-like dreams coming true. While the beautified and cinematized view of marriage has also depicted the importance of romantic relationships and friendships, others have beautifully portrayed the oddities and realities of marriage. However, out of the million romcoms and wedding movies, only one film should be banned –for kids.
Ready or Not is not a sweet or heart-wrenchingly sad movie that would chronicle the journey of falling in love to saying “I do.” Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillette, this 2019 movie is based on an intense black comedy-horror storyline. The movie revolves around a young bride as she joins her spouse’s rich family and participates in a time-honored tradition that soon turns into a life-threatening game. The young woman’s wedding night and seemingly innocent game take a sinister turn as her in-laws start “hunting” her.
It is then revealed that one of the ancestors of the groom’s family had once made a pact with the devil in order to make a fortune. In exchange, however, the devil asked for the family to observe a tradition on every wedding night. If the new member of the family draws a “Hide-and-Seek” card, the new member has to hide and the rest of the family has to find and sacrifice the person before dawn or all of them will die.
Eventually, the movie is about how the bride tries to survive and escape from the clutches of this satan-worshiping family. But, the sick rituals, along with the horrifying and bloody scenes, are too much for a kid to handle.
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
Most children in the world know the story of how two siblings were abandoned in the forest and then fell into the hands of a witch who lived in a candy and gingerbread house. Published as part of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, this German fairy tale has taught us important morals and lessons about life. Perhaps, the most important lesson was not to trust strangers, no matter how kind and caring they might appear to be.
Compared to other fairy tales, this story was not originally kid-friendly. In fact, Disney was often criticized for turning dark stuff into kids’ fairy tales. The same goes for this movie.
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters have an interesting plot, appealing characters, great visuals and the CGI is praise-worthy. However, movie critics don’t suggest this movie to kids because it is pretty gory with lots of intense and bloody scenes. There are many scenes where people are blown up and torn apart and this level of “violence” is not good for children.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
There are plenty of parents who don’t allow their kids to watch horror movies. Studies have revealed that when they are exposed to violent games or aggressive and horror videos, kids would be more anxious and aggressive. However, according to Mumbai-based consultant psychiatrist, Dr. Mohit Shah, “If children are interested in watching horror, their curiosity should not be curbed…”
While there is some good “starter” scares for kids, many don’t recommend parents allowing their kids to watch “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.” While some parents might be fine with it, others believe that their kids can be seriously traumatized. Personally, this movie is not a mature horror movie, but because it is based on a true story, the concept of demonic possession of an adolescent girl can affect children.