Scream (1996)
Violence and offensive language Rated on: 03 March 2026
What’s it about?
As a masked killer known as Ghostface begins murdering high school students in the small town of Woodsboro, California, a group of horror film buffs use their knowledge to unmask the killer.
The facts
- Directed by Wes Craven
- Stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Drew Barrymore, Matthew Lillard
- English language
- Runtime: 111 minutes
Why did it get this rating?
This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about classification process and ratings here.
Horror and violence:
The film is a slasher horror involving jump scares and masked killers with superhuman stamina who threaten, stalk, and kill people. The violence can sometimes be graphic with lots of blood and detail of injury shown. Some of the stronger moments include:
- A character’s throat is slit and blood pours out as they. A woman finds blood all over her car windshield before the character’s bloodied body slides onto the hood of her car.
- A character is tied to a chair. The lights go out, and graphic ripping noises can be heard. When the lights come back on, the character is covered in blood and guts.
- A character is stabbed in the chest and throat repeatedly, with lots of blood shown.
Offensive language
This film contains frequent use of offensive language including “f**k”, “sh*t”, “b*tch”, “ass” and “whore”.
Other references
There are references to rape, torture, and suicide. These are not graphic or detailed.
When content stays with you:
We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.
