Machine Gun Preacher

Why Is Machine Gun Preacher Rated R?

Violence: Frequent depictions of violence with guns, knives, land mines and other weapons include some gory details. A child steps on a land mine and his corpse is seen with missing legs. A large group of burned and smoldering children’s corpses are piled in a heap. A man shoots an assassin who turns out to be a young child. Adult men are killed and wounded during battles. A fight and a severe stabbing incident occur after two men pick up a Native American hitchhiker. A man yells at his wife and child. 

Sexual Content: A married couple is viewed from a distance while having sex in a car—no nudity is seen. Later this same couple begins sexual activities in their home (kissing and passionate embracing are shown). A woman discusses her career as a stripper.

Language: Over two-dozen sexual expletives are used along with other profanity, scatological slang, and crude anatomical terms. Names of deity are used as expletives.

Drugs/Alcohol: Characters drink frequently, sometimes to the point of drunkenness. Injected drug use is portrayed in a few scenes, including one where a character is shown shooting up while driving a car. Later in the film, an addicted character is "rescued" and the effects of drug use are shown from a negative perspective.