Who doesn’t love a good dog movie? Of course, plenty of kids want to watch something that has an animal as a main character, but that doesn’t mean all these movies are suitable. The Friend is the latest movie out in theaters, but this may be something to watch yourself.
When Iris’ friend and mentor leaves her his dog in his will, her life is thrown into disarray. As we all know, a dog brings a lot of work and attention, especially a big dog like a Great Dane. Well, it turns out that it is a lot of work, bringing for some comedy in a dark and difficult topic.
The Friend age rating: Explaining the R rating
Despite this movie being focused on a dog, it’s not made for the whole family. The official age rating is R, and there are some understandable reasons for that. Even if it wasn’t rated R, the topics within the movie probably don’t make it suitable for children. This touches heavily on grief and loss, which can end up being difficult subjects to discuss.
Sex & nudity: There are a few sexual references made throughout the movie, but there is nothing that would make too many people uncomfortable.
Violence & gore: This isn’t the type of movie that brings in a lot of fight scenes and gory moments, but there is a lot about real life within this. There are topics such as suicide and grief, and while not gory on the screen, they do bring up some questions from younger audiences.
On top of that, this is a Great Dane who doesn’t know his size, and he causes a lot of havoc as Iris gets used to him being in her life. The destruction is used for humor, but it brings up some important topics about dog ownership and training.
Language: There are a couple of F-bombs used throughout the movie, which can be uncomfortable for some, but they’re not on the heavy side. There are also a few uses of the S-word and the B-word, but the profanity is on the moderate side when it comes to what we’re used to in theaters right now.
Alcohol & drugs: There is no inclusion of drugs, but there is some drinking here and there. This movie brings up a lot of topics of grief, including how to cope with it, but the focus is on bonding with a dog who is also grieving.
Overall verdict: Who is The Friend appropriate for?
Even without some of the moderate profanity and mild violence, I wouldn’t say that this is a movie for children. The Friend is a heartfelt story about grief and bonding, not just from a human point of view, either. There is the topic of how dogs also grieve the loss of their humans — yes, dogs have feelings!
There are some heavy topics for children, making it something for adults. I would say it’s suitable for some older teenagers, but they may want to watch something more “entertaining” than The Friend.
The Friend is available to watch in theaters.