Are you in the mood for a horror comedy? If so, then The Parenting could be for you. The question for many is whether this is something to put on with the kids around, and my answer is it depends on your kids.
The Parenting isn’t going to win any awards, but it’s some light-hearted fun in the horror comedy genre. It follows a gay couple who go away with their parents, but the place they rent is haunted. There’s a 400-year-old evil entity that is sure to cause havoc for everyone else around, and tensions between the parents and the couple start to form.
With actors such as Lisa Kudrow and Edie Falco in the movie, you’re sure to want to check it out. I’d wait for the kids, especially the younger ones, to go to bed.
The Parenting age rating: Understanding the R rating
This horror comedy is officially rated R, which isn’t that surprising. Going straight to Max and the genre that it’s in, an R rating allows for a lot more freedom when it comes to the gore that can be shown. That being said, it’s a movie that I’m sure a lot of older teens would be comfortable watching. Let’s take a look at the breakdown of the age rating to understand why.
Sex & nudity: There isn’t any visual nudity or sex shown on the screen. There is a point where each of the couples believes that the other couples are having sex due to the banging and loud noises, but, well, there’s a ghost in the house!
There is a scene where a man is naked and we see him from behind. Other characters make some comments about his genitals, but nothing is shown on the screen.
Violence & gore: This is nothing like it could be considering the fact that it’s a horror, but there is something that is going to hurt a lot of people. It involves the dog, but I’m not going into the spoilers here.
Another scene involves a man slicing someone’s arm multiple times. There is some blood shown with this. I’d say the violence is on the mild to moderate side, but I’m used to violence like Saw. I’d put this at a lower level to Scary Movie’s violence.
Language: There are some F-bombs thrown into the movie. It’s a group of adults hanging out together, so swearing happens throughout. Like the violence, it’s not at the level that I would expect for an R-rated movie on a streaming platform.
Alcohol & drugs: There is some drinking and minor drug use throughout the movie as the couples meet and hang out.
Overall verdict: Who is The Parenting appropriate for?
Overall, this is a movie that I’d be comfortable with a teen watching. There isn’t as much violence as you would initially expect. I honestly think that because there isn’t a rating between PG-13 and R, it means that The Parenting had to opt for the R rating. If the U.S. had something like a 14A or a 15, it would have gained that rating.
However, if your teens don’t like grotesque faces and some demonic creatures, then you’ll want to skip this movie. There are some disturbing moments, but nothing that is going to lead to nightmares. It’s a comedy at the heart of the horror.
The Parenting is available to stream on Max.