Research: BBFC Film Certificates

The British Board of Film Classification provides films with age ratings and certificates depending on their content and how suitable they are for certain audiences. The lowest certificate that a film can get is a U (Universal) which means that the film is suitable for all ages. The highest certificate that a film can get is an R18 which means that the film is only suitable for people over the age of 18 and only allowed to be distributed to sex shops.

The age certificate is conventionally included on posters and DVD covers so that the audience are aware of the age range that are allowed to watch the film. We needed to conduct some research into the different certificates as supernatural horror is quite a versatile genre which could come under many age ratings, and it will help us understand what we can and cannot include in our trailer.

A film is only suitable for people aged 12 or over and not to be watched by anyone below that age.

• Moderate violence is allowed as long as no gore or any graphical images are shown.
• Moderate physical/psychological threat portrayed allowed.
• Moderate strong language allowed depending on it's context.
• Moderate sexual references and discreet sexual activity allowed.

12 certificates are very rarely given to supernatural horrors as they can show a lot of violence and they rely on creating heightened physical and psychological threat throughout their plots to scare their audience. However, some supernatural horrors that have been labeled as 12 controversially including The Woman in Black (2012).

A film is only suitable for people aged 15 or over and not to be watched by anyone below that age.

• Must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.
• Moderate druge misuse but film as a whole must not endorse drugs as a whole.
• Dangerous behaviour allowed as long as it does not create much of an impression on the viewer.
• Use of strong language permitted although frequent strong language may not.
• Sexual activity without strong detail is allowed.
• Strong threat allowed unless sadistic or sexualised. 
• Violence may be strong but not dwell on pain/injury.

Many supernatural horrors are labeled as a 15 including Insidious (2011), Paranormal Activity (2009) and The Conjuring (2013).

A film is only suitable for people aged 18 or over and not be watched by anyone below that age. They can include any of the following themes.

• Hard drug abuse.
• Explicit sex.
• Sadistic violence.
• Sexual violence.

The latter two of which have in the past led to a certificate not being issued at all, in effect banning the film in the UK.

Some supernatural horrors include strong violence and language meaning that they have had to be labelled with an 18 certificate, including The Last Exorcism (2010), Dead Silence (2007), Orphan (2011). Normally most horror films which have an 18 certificate are within the slasher sub-genre, such as the Saw and Scream franchises.

Our supernatural horror film certificate
We have decided to give our film a 15 certificate as we will include some violent behaviour within our trailer but it won't be so strong that it dwells on pain or injury, or makes an impression on the viewer. We will not include strong or discriminatory language, and no sexual activities of any kind and so we believe that a 15 will best suit our film.