Is Venom suitable for kids?

If you have children who are big fans of Spider-Man, then firstly let me say ‘congratulations – your children have excellent taste in super heroes’. And if your children do like Spidey, then they most likely love the Spider-Man movies.

Many of the Spider-Man movies are produced with families in mind and create a colourful adventure, which centres around a hero. But not every Spider-Man movie is the same, and as such it is always worth taking a look at each movie on a case-by-case basis to determine if it is suitable for a young audience.

But what about Venom (2018)? Is the Spider-Man spin-off movie, Venom suitable for kids?

Well, if you have children and you are wondering if they can watch Venom, then you need to know a few things about the movie which should help inform your decision. These are as follows:

• The rating
• The violence
• The use of language
• The subject matter

In this post I will highlight a few details about Venom, which you may wish to know before showing the movie to the youngest members of the household.

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The rating

First and foremost, when considering whether or not a movie is suitable for specific audience members it is always advisable to check out the film’s rating. I have written a post about the age classifications of the Spider-Man movies – so please feel free to take a look – but in the case of Venom, let’s consider what the British Board of Film Classification has to say.

The BBFC rates every film that is released in the UK; including major motion pictures and direct-to-video titles. For Venom, the BBFC has given the film a 15 certificate, which means it is suitable only for people who are 15 years and over.

The film – which is classed by the BBFC as a science fiction, fantasy, action film – is noted as containing ‘threat’ and ‘violence’. The BBFC’s summary of the movie states: ‘Venom is a US sci-fi action fantasy in which alien organisms are brought back to Earth.’

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The violence

Venom contains a number of scenes of violence, including characters being eaten or impaled by alien organisms known as symbiotes. These symbiotes inhabit the bodies of multiple humans and influence their decisions.

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The use of language

The film features a mix of strong language, including the ‘F’ word, as well as milder, bad language. The swear words used in this movie are not suitable for young audiences.

At times the tone and content of the language is also harsh for younger audiences. Characters talk about the symbiotes taking over bodies.

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The subject matter

Venom deals with body horror – the idea of a parasitic organism taking over a character. At times, elements of this are graphic, with scenes of organisms possessing multiple characters, resulting in death.

The chief villain of the film – Riot – is also depicted as an uncaring character, with no regard for human life. The character has no redeeming features.

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Is Venom suitable for young audiences?

If you are considering showing Venom to the younger members of your family it is recommended that you adhere to the movie classification rating. The subject matter featured in Venom makes the film unsuitable for those below the age of 15.

Venom deals with body horror, features adult language, and depicts scenes of violence. The movie is intended for a mid-teen audience (and above), and is not suitable for those after a colourful, comic book adventure.

Should you want more information about Venom or the Spider-Man movie series, please take a look at one of the recommended reads below. And thank you for stopping by to read this post – I hope it helps!

Read more:

• Who is Venom in the Spider-Man movies?
• Five best Spider-Man movies for kids
• Who are the villains in Venom?