Parent went through 'terror and guilt' after bringing child to violent movie

A parent said they felt "irresponsible" for bringing their son and daughter to a film due to the level of violence which ultimately led to them leaving the film early. 

This was one of a number of complaints received by Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO).

However, the number of complaints to IFCO dropped considerably last year as cinemas were forced to close for long periods due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Figures released by IFCO reveal that 20 formal complaints were lodged in 2019, but there have been just nine in the period since then.

There were just three last year.

One parent wrote about their experience of going to see ‘Free Guy’.

"I went through emotions of terror and guilt at bringing my kids to this movie as constant violence and language unfolded on the screen.” Eventually, her son turned to her and said: “Mammy, I don’t like this movie, it’s scary and too violent … at that point, I decided, right, let’s get out of here," they wrote. 

The mother went home and again watched the trailer for the film with her husband but said it gave no sense of what was in store in the actual movie.

"There were no signs from the trailer of the violence and killings and language it contained," she said.

“It was a very stressful experience and I simply ask that you pay particular interest to movies like this in the future and to be extremely careful in selecting their age appropriateness.”

Another family had the very opposite complaint after their 13-year-old son was refused entry to the ‘Suicide Squad’, which was rated 16.

"What world are you people living in?” they wrote in their complaint, "he was with me, [and] his mother but still wasn’t allowed to enter." 

The father said they had gone home and watched a movie on Netflix, which they were sure was more violent than the one they were refused access to.

“I think you people want to totally destroy the film industry. There is nothing in The Suicide Squad, so how on earth could you rate it 16?”

The man said “stupid decisions” had ruined their night, and it should be up to parents to decide what their children can and cannot see.

The horror movie In the Earth had been harshly given a classification for only those over 18, another complainant said.

It read: “While undoubtedly graphic and unpleasant, the foot amputation scene was in a medical context and, compared to other psychedelic/horror films like Midsommar (with graphic, close-up scenes of faces and legs being smashed), I don’t think the violence here was nearly as excessive or gratuitous.”

The complaint said that for a film with “heavy psychedelic elements” such as In the Earth, a 16 rating would have been more suitable.

An IFCO spokesperson said: "All complaints are forwarded to the Director of Film Classification who responds directly to the complainant.

"IFCO welcomes such input, and this feedback informs any re-evaluation of classification guidelines and age bands ensuring that they are properly reflective of the public expectation of the office."