| Overall: | C |
|---|---|
| Violence: | D |
| Sexual Content: | A- |
| Language: | B- |
| Drugs/Alcohol: | A |
| Theater Release: | |
| Video Release: | 07 Oct 2008 |
| MPAA Rating: | |
| See Canadian Ratings | |
| How We Determine Our Grades | |
Why Is The Happening Rated R?
This thriller’s biggest issue for parents are the depictions of various people taking their own lives with a variety of methods, like shooting themselves with guns, stabbings with pointed objects and falling from buildings. Some of these are particularly explicit, for instance lions in a zoo bite off a man’s arms. Another character lies down in front of a large lawnmower, and we see the mower driving over him. Another scene shows two young people being killed by a person with a shotgun—one of the shootings is seen on screen. There are many moments of peril and tension, including “jump” scenes. A number of mild profanities are heard along with terms of deity. A mild sexual comment is heard.
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About the Reviewer: Rod Gustafson
Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. He currently serves as the President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness, a provincial non-profit society. He also authors a regular column for The Parent's Television Council in Los Angeles. He and his wife Donna have four children.
