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Is Joker safe for your child?

Age guide

17+

We advise Joker from age 17 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk).

13-15
Children in this age group may encounter discussion of the film's themes of mental health, societal neglect, and violence through online clips or social media, even if they have not watched the full movie.
16+
Teenagers in this age band are more likely to watch the full film and may be exposed to its graphic violence, mature themes, and the complex portrayal of a character's descent into madness.

This film explores the origin story of Batman's iconic nemesis, Arthur Fleck, a struggling comedian who descends into madness and nihilism. It's a dark and gritty character study set in a decaying Gotham City.

Age guide
17+
Overall risk
7/10
Violence
9/10
Toxic behaviour
9/10
Stranger contact
1/10
Addiction risk
7/10
Language
8/10
Influence
10/10

What parents should know

The film 'Joker' is rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language, and brief sexual images, making it unsuitable for younger audiences. It explores the descent of a mentally ill man into villainy amidst societal neglect. Parents should be prepared to discuss themes of mental health, violence, and social issues with older teens.

What to do about Joker

Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.

  • The age-by-age verdict
    What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for Joker is 17+, and the answer changes with your child's age.
  • The one setting to change tonight
    The exact Joker setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it.
  • What to say
    Word-for-word openers for talking about Joker without a row.
  • Red flags to watch for
    The signals in Joker that mean it is time to step in.
See what to change tonight

Joker age rating and parents guide: common questions

What age rating is Joker?

Parentwise puts Joker at 17+. We advise Joker from age 17 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk). Violence scores 9/10, language 8/10, stranger contact 1/10 and addiction risk 7/10.

Can a 10 year old watch Joker?

Not by default: we advise Joker from 17+, so at 10 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first.

Can a 12 year old watch Joker?

Not by default: we advise Joker from 17+, so at 12 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first.

Can a 13 year old watch Joker?

Not by default: we advise Joker from 17+, so at 13 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Children in this age group may encounter discussion of the film's themes of mental health, societal neglect, and violence through online clips or social media, even if they have not watched the full movie.

Is Joker appropriate for kids?

The film 'Joker' is rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language, and brief sexual images, making it unsuitable for younger audiences. Parentwise rates Joker overall as high risk (7/10), with stranger contact at 1/10 and addiction risk at 7/10.

Is Joker family friendly?

Joker is one of the higher-risk titles we rate, so treat it as supervised rather than family viewing. It explores the descent of a mentally ill man into villainy amidst societal neglect.

Joker parents guide: what should a parent know first?

The film 'Joker' is rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language, and brief sexual images, making it unsuitable for younger audiences. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (1/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (7/10).

Is Joker safe for kids?

We advise Joker from age 17 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk). It explores the descent of a mentally ill man into villainy amidst societal neglect.

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Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.