What Is The Twilight Saga Rated? What Parents Should Know Before Letting Their Kids Watch
The "Twilight" Saga is a phenomenon, and tells the story of Bella Swan's (Kristen Stewart) epic romance with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), as she navigates a world of vampires, werewolves, and danger around every corner. The five-movie franchise did incredible at the box office from 2008 to 2012, with the final installment, "Breaking Dawn: Part 2," raking in over $800 million at the box office. It is even getting rebooted as a TV series in the near future.
With the way the films meld romance and the supernatural, they certainly offer viewers an exciting ride and are sure to welcome new audiences over the years. All the "Twilight" movies are available to stream on Hulu, which makes them easily accessible to kids and teens. Though 18-year-old Bella is the main character of the overall story, there are elements of "Twilight" that might not be appropriate for younger viewers. Each film is rated PG-13 — though the reasons behind this vary — including "action, violence, disturbing images, and sexual/partial nudity."
With all this in mind, "Twilight" is definitely a series that is more geared toward teenagers, and therefore, they should be at least 13 years old to watch the movies. If you're wondering what exactly might upset younger viewers, there are a few disturbing scenes.
The characters are often in violent situations
Because the movies are vampire flicks, it shouldn't come as a surprise that there is a decent amount of violence. When Bella is hunted by the vampire James (Cam Gigandet), he tracks her into an old ballet studio. Here, he brutally attacks her by shoving her into mirrored walls and even biting her. Though Edward comes to her rescue, Bella has a strong reaction to James' venom. It can be disturbing to see her writhe and scream in pain as she begins to transform. Edward does manage to suck the venom out, but it's not easy to forget Bella's reaction.
The next few films have their fair share of violent moments. These include Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) lunging after Bella, Edward beheading Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard), and especially Alice's (Ashley Greene) vision, where the Volturi and Cullens engage in war and Carlisle (Peter Facinelli) is killed.
However, the most disturbing scene for younger viewers would probably be Bella's delivery. Because Renesmee is half-vampire, half-human, her birth is painful and difficult. Carlisle performs a C-Section, and Bella almost dies, until Edward changes her with vampire venom to the heart. Considered one of the most-over-the-top moments in the "Twilight" franchise, this scene is very hard to watch because the cast and crew do not shy away from the gruesome details. There is a lot of blood, both on Bella's body and Edward's hands as he tries to revive her.
Edward and Bella engage in sexual activities
At its core, the "Twilight" Saga is a romance, and a very deep one, at that. There are sensual scenes throughout the first three films, which help deepen the love between Edward and Bella, but they never go too far.
This all changes in "Breaking Dawn — Part 1," where there are several sexual scenes that younger audiences definitely shouldn't watch. The film depicts the stunning wedding of Edward and Bella, and they plan to consummate their relationship while she is still human, despite the dangers his strength pose. They have their honeymoon on Isle Esme, named after Edward's adoptive mother, and they finally make love.
There are several scenes where Bella and Edward show their passion for one another during their honeymoon. They make love in the ocean, on the beach, and again in their bedroom. Though these moments aren't as intense as they could be, it is clear that Edward and Bella are engaging in sexual acts that young viewers might not understand.
Kristen Stewart revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that the sex scenes are a lot tamer than they were originally. In fact, she said they were much steamier and had to be recut, so the film could retain its PG-13 status. Despite this, it's important that parents know what is appropriate for their kids. If they do want to show them the "Twilight" Saga, the films are on Hulu. And thanks to the recut, it's definitely not the steamiest movie on the platform.