Screengrab via YouTube/ Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video’s Shotgun Wedding releases today, Jan. 27, but is it suitable for kids? In this romantic comedy from Pitch Perfect director Jason Moore, Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel play a soon-to-be married couple who must deal with the stress of their families gathering for a destination wedding in the Philippines, all while fighting for their lives in the jungle after the wedding ceremony is taken hostage. Lopez’s Darcy and Duhamel’s Tom are forced to work together to save their loved ones, taking “till death do us part” far too literally. Sônia Braga, Jennifer Coolidge, Lenny Kravitz, and Cheech Marin co-star with Lopez and Duhamel as various family members.
It might not look very family-friendly, but is Shotgun Wedding suitable for youngsters? Well, since it has an R rated slapped on it, we’d instinctively say no, but what’s specifically unsuitable?
‘Shotgun Wedding’ parents’ guide: Can my kids watch this film?
Image via Lionsgate Films
Any parents looking for their next Saturday night family movie should steer clear from Shotgun Wedding. Depending on which country you’re watching from, the rating changes coast-to-coast. For example, the UK has rated it 15, whereas places like Switzerland and Portugal are allowing children as young as 12 to watch. As for the US, Shotgun Wedding has received a definitive R rating for Restricted, meaning that children under 17 require an accompanying parent or adult guardian.
As per IMDb, here are all the reasons why Shotgun Wedding has claimed an R rating and why it isn’t suitable for children under 17 in the US:
Violence & Gore
Rating: Moderate
- People are shot using rifles with some blood splatter.
- A couple tries to use a meat cleaver to untie themselves, one of them gets cut and blood splatters everywhere.
- A grenade is thrown at two people, and one of them sustains major burns on their head.
- A person is cut into pieces by helicopter rotor blades.
Profanity
Rating: Severe
- As an example of the level of adult language, there are 37 uses of ‘fuck’.
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking
Rating: Mild
- Some social drinking. A person is shown in an inebriated state and refers to their drinking as “liquid lunch.”
Frightening & Intense Scenes
Rating: Mild
- Some mild terror in comedic tone.
- Some mild bloody violence.
Shotgun Wedding was released on Jan. 27, 2023, by Amazon Studios for Amazon Video.
