Totally Killer age rating: Why is the movie rated R?

Following in the footsteps of genre-bending slashers like 2020’s Freaky, Totally Killer is mixing the best of the time travel genre with the thrills and chills of a good murder mystery.

Kiernan Shipka stars as Jamie Hughes, a teenage girl whose life has been influenced by a killing spree back in the ’80s that caused the deaths of her mother’s friends. When a new masked killer appears and chases Jamie into a time machine, she has the chance to save her mother’s friends… or make things much, much worse.

While the time travel elements will likely help keep the movie from being too scary, it is still a horror movie, and that has parents wondering whether or not they should let their children and teens watch the new movie. Read on for the movie’s official rating and what elements to be aware of when showing the movie to kids.

Totally Killer age rating

First things first, Totally Killer is rated R, which means that it would require anyone 17 and under to have an adult accompanying them if they were to see it in theaters. Since it’s coming directly to a streaming service, however, some parents are more willing to let their teenagers watch it without supervision.

According to the MPAA, the movie was rated R for “bloody violence, language, sexual material, and teen drug/alcohol use.” These are all pretty classic elements in a slasher movie, so teens who are comfortable with the genre will probably not struggle with this film much more than any others.

That being said, the movie does rely a lot on knowledge of ’80s culture and the slasher sub-genre. While teenagers might enjoy the movie, they probably won’t fully understand it without a decent background in ’80s pop culture.

Is Totally Killer appropriate for kids?

While teenagers might be able to handle this movie with minimal problems, it is definitely not appropriate for children. It may have similarities with Back to the Future, but it should be considered on the level with other slashers like Halloween and Friday the 13th when it comes to sex, drugs, and violence.

People will be killed. Brutally. This is a movie that is absolutely not meant for children to be watching, especially not on their own.

Another element parents should be aware of is the high level of social commentary the film is trying to accomplish. In order to critique the past, the movie does show blatant racism, sexism, and drug use. These elements might elevate the film for those with enough context, but they will not be easily understood by kids.

Totally Killer premieres on Prime Video on Oct. 6, 2023.