Research Into Certificate: 18

Research into Certificate: 18


Films rated 18 are for adults. No-one under 18 is allowed to see an 18 film at the cinema or buy/rent an 18 rated DVD. No 18 rated films are suitable for children.
In 18 rated films, no themes are prohibited, the bbfc states that adults are free to pick their own entertainment within the law, so it's possible that some themes at this certificate may be offensive to some adult viewers.
In an 18 rated film you might find: very strong violence, frequent strong and very strong language (eg f*** and/or c***) strong portrayals of sexual activity, sexual violence, strong horror, strong use of blood and gore, in some circumstances real sex and discriminatory language and behaviour.
There is no limit to how much bad language can be used in an 18 certified film, there may be frequent use of words such as c*** and f***. The uses of these words can also be quite aggressive, accompanied with violence within scenes.
The use of discriminatory language at certificate 18 again has no limits. racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language can be used frequently and can be the main focus of the film and its main character.
Very strong, crude and explicit sex references are permitted with this age category, however films specifically made for stimulation purposes will be passed onto the R18 category. There are also legal guidelines within the sexual content in any film.
At 18 there can be frequent very strong violence, and can focus on the infliction of pain or injury, or scenes of sadistic sexual violence. there are no limits to amount of violence permitted within this category.
The strongest horror movies are passed within this category. again there are no limits to the amount of horror or menace within this certificate boundary.
At 18 drugs can be shown, but like a couple of the other categories it cannot promote or encourage drug use.
Though 18 films and DVDs may cover difficult and strong subjects and themes, harm is still a consideration. Very dangerous or criminal behaviour (for example, behaviour which if copied poses a credible harm risk to viewers) may be cut.