Parents Guide for
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) More at IMDbPro »

Note: The number at the beginning of each section refers to how much explicit content of that kind there is in the film on a scale of 1-10. The fraction at the end of the last section is the total sum of the sections over the highest sum possible (50) and is therefore an approximation of about how explicit the film is a whole.

Sex & Nudity: 6

-A gang called "The Sisters" supposedly rape and beat another man multiple times, one of them tops the man briefly as the others beat him. In one particular scene their leader tells a man to give him oral sex using implied terms - "You'll swallow what I give you to swallow". However, nothing sexual happens and instead the gang starts beating the man, but the scene skips.

-In a couple of scenes, many men can be seen nude; only a side view of their buttocks as well as a brief view of a man's buttocks from a distance during a mass shower can be seen.

-Lots of sexual innuendo, there is a great deal of sexual dialouge in the movie, including a homosexual rape reference, with a brief use of crude terms.

-We see a man and a woman kissing heavily, as she unbuttons his pants, and there is some mild thrusting.

-A man briefly touches another man (mostly off screen) during a mass shower the other man leaves and he starts a sexual talk with another man.

-Posters of half-nude women can be seen.

Violence & Gore: 6

-Several beatings. The first is very graphic and very disturbing; we see the whole scene from a distance. Guards kick and punch a prisoner who screams and yells. They beat him with clubs violently and he tries to get away. We later learn that he dies. The second is mostly off-screen but it can be emotional, and slightly disturbing; A prisoner returns to his cell where guards knock him to the floor. He tries to crawl out of the cell but guards pull him back in. He screams and we hear them beating him. We later see him in a wheelchair, and hear that he will never walk again. There are several milder ones where a man is attacked and it is implied that he is raped by other men. The vitcim is punched and kicked, and afterwards is frequently seen with cuts and bruises on his face.

-A person hangs himself, and you see his dead body hanging. A man is shot four times in the chest. We see some bloody gunshot wounds and blood on the floor underneath his body from above. -A person commits suicide by shooting himself, you briefly see his head jerk back, and the it cuts the window where blood splatters, and we see his corpse afterwards, sitting in a chair with a bloody hole under it's chin and his eyes are open.

-Other violent scene include threats with knives, guns and sticks.

Profanity: 7

Profanity is strong throughout, but never extreme.

33 uses of "fuck," along with numerous religious profanities and milder expletives.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: 7

Some scenes containing usage of tobacco, and some scenes of alcohol usage. Our main character is drunk at the beginning. Cigarettes are like "Money" in this movie, so they are mentioned and seen a few times. In one scene about 8 prisoners and a few prison guards drink celebratory beer(s)

Frightening/Intense Scenes: 4

The movie is very emotional, and at times the emotional violence can be very disturbing.

An idea of how accurate the TECE (below) is: 5-10 is a little-kid suitable, G-Rated type of film (i.e. Care Bears, Sleeping Beauty); 10-15 is going to be a little harsher, but not by much (i.e. The Incredibles); 15-20 could be pretty high up there (i.e. Indiana Jones), 20-25 is going to pretty darn adult (i.e. The Dark Knight); 25-30 is going to be a film most likely not suitable for anyone under 17 (i.e.THIS); 30-40 is going to be an absolutely, positively adults-only film (i.e. Saving Private Ryan) and if a movie has ever gone past 40, then it would be a HARD R to X (such as The Departed).

Total Explicit Content Estimation: 30/50.