Is Scream (2022) Kid Friendly? Parents Guide

Wondering if SCREAM (2022) is ok for kids? Scream is rated R for violence, language, and sexual references. Is Scream 5 too scary for kids? Perhaps the bloodiest Scream movie, I wouldn’t recommend it for kids. Like the other Scream movies, it’s scary, but campy scary. Here’s what parents need to know in this Scream (2022) Parents Guide.

2022 Scream Parents Guide

The 5th installment in the Scream franchise, twenty-five years after the original series of murders in Woodsboro, a new Ghostface emerges, and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) must return to uncover the truth. Some fan favorites are back from the original Scream.

Here is the Scream 6 Parents Guide if you’re looking for that age rating.

Why is Scream Rated R?

Scream is Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout and some sexual references which means it may not suitable for kids under 17. 

Language

There is a lot of profanity in Scream including uses of sh*t, a**, bit*h, damn, and plenty uses of fu*k. There are also words of Deity including g-ddamn.

Mature Content

There is a lot of graphic violence, gore, and blood in Scream. Ghostface kills a lot of people, and there is a lot of blood. One girl gets stabbed in the hand, another character is stabbed in the stomach repeatedly, another is stabbed in the neck, another on the shoulder, in the leg, in the face, etc. There are a lot of slashings, and a lot of disgusting blood spurts.

Characters are shot, bodies are burned. Another is choked. Warning: violence is graphic in Scream 5.

There are sexual references in the film including talk about sex, characters making out (male and female and two females), and a reference to “boner pills.”

Teenagers use alcohol.

Is Scream Too Scary For Kids?

Scream is not really appropriate for kids. Yes, the violence is graphic and gory. But Scream is also goofy which lessens the fear factor a bit, but it’s still too scary for kids. Some teens may be able to handle the film if they’re in to the other Scream movies and the horror genre.

But Ghostface has been giving me nightmares since I was in high school.

Is Scream Appropriate for Kids Under 17?

As Scream ushers in a new generation of teens, there are also some fan favorites and moments for the original Screamers. Sidney, Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale (Courtney Cox) return to help solve the return of Ghostface. If your teens have seen the other Scream movies, then this follows the same pattern, but with some extra gore for good measure.

A fun addition to the franchise, Scream is probably the best film after the original, titled by the same name. Yes, it’s confusing. And annoying. But I’ll allow it. 

Ghostface has been scaring me for 25 years, and Scream is no exception. A nostalgic ride that falls a little short from the original, but still has the same recipe.