Kids Are Growing Up
NZ release: 29 March 2019
Dangerous behaviour, suicide themes, drug use & offensive language Rated on: 31 May 2019
What’s it about?
A documentary following young Australian rapper, The Kid Laroi, as he enters adulthood, navigating fame, mental health struggles, his first love, and the death of his mentor Juice WRLD.
The facts
- Directed by Michael D. Ratner
- English language
- Runtime: 121 minutes
- Received an Academy Award for Best Music Written for a Motion Picture
Why did it get this rating?
This film was self-rated by Prime Video. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.
Suicide themes
In video footage, The Kid Laroi is shown developing a strong friendship with American rapper Juice WRLD. He describes in interviews what it was like living with him and eventually watching him die in front on him from a drug overdose. This may shocking for some viewers, particularly young fans of either of the musicians.
Though the death is not explicitly described as suicide, there are references to Juice WRLD battling with fame, pain, and addiction at such a young age and eventually passing away at 21 years old.
Drug use
A man talks about how when he was moving cities, he was worried he’d see kids “doing coke everywhere, getting f**ked up every night.”
There are scenes where a man waves around a capsule of prescription drugs, and talk about how they later died by overdosing on them.
This documentary contains frequent footage of people smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol.
Adult themes
This film follows the life of a musician as he navigates fame, with detailed accounts of his struggles. He describes his battles with the extreme pressure of being a celebrity at such a young age, breaking up with his girlfriend, and living up to the expectations of others.
There is a scene that shows someone getting a tattoo, with the tattoo gun shown being used on a man’s thigh.
Offensive language
This film contains frequent use of offensive language, with words like “f*ck” and “sh*t.”
Helplines:
Themes such as suicide and drug abuse could be upsetting for some viewers, especially for those who have gone through similar experiences. If you are struggling with what you have seen on-screen, please reach out for help. If you or someone you know needs to talk:
Further information
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