Barely Lethal (2015) Parents Guide: Is the movie OK for kids?
Age Rating, Sex, Violence & Language
A 16-year-old international assassin yearning for a "normal" adolescence fakes her own death and enrolls as a senior in a suburban high school. She quickly learns that being popular can be more painful than getting water-boarded.
Rated PG-13 • 2015 • 1h 38m
Barely Lethal is a PG-13 action-comedy about a teenage assassin, Megan (Agent 83), who fakes her death to experience a normal high school life. The film's rating is primarily for action violence, sexual material, teen drinking, and language. The violence is stylized and mostly bloodless, involving martial arts fights and car chases. Sexual content is limited to some crude humor, including a penis drawn on a character's face, and… Sign up for the full guide
Cast
Is Barely Lethal appropriate for kids?
Barely Lethal is a PG-13 action-comedy about a teenage assassin, Megan (Agent 83), who fakes her death to experience a normal high school life. The film's rating is primarily for action violence, sexual material, teen drinking, and language. The violence is stylized and mostly… Read more — free account
Content severity in Barely Lethal
What happens in Barely Lethal, moment by moment
- 0:05 ⚔ Violence & Gore 6/10
- 0:08 🔥 Mature Themes 4/10
- 0:28 🍷 Substances 3/10
Sex and nudity in Barely Lethal
Sexual content is mild and mostly played for laughs. In one scene at a party, a girl is seen with a crude penis drawn on her face in marker, which is referenced with some suggestive comments. There is some flirting between teens, and a rival assassin tries to "seduce" a boy to make the protagonist jealous. A few brief kisses are shown.
Violence and gore in Barely Lethal
Violence is moderate, frequent, and highly stylized, typical of the action-comedy genre. It includes hand-to-hand combat with kicks and punches, a car chase, and a final confrontation involving mercenaries. A character is stabbed in the leg with a corndog stick, but the injury is not graphic. While there are guns and a family is held hostage, there is no significant blood or gore.
Language in Barely Lethal
Language is moderate for a PG-13 film. The dialogue includes approximately 10 uses of "bitch," 7 uses of "shit," and one use each of "damn" and "bastard." The film contains a single, non-sexual use of the word "fuck."
Drugs, alcohol, and smoking in Barely Lethal
Substance use includes a prominent scene at a high school party where teenagers are shown drinking beer from red cups, and one character becomes visibly intoxicated. In another scene, a parent has a conversation with his son that includes numerous slang references to various drugs and his past experiences with them.
Mature themes in Barely Lethal
Thematic content includes orphanhood, as the protagonist was raised in a government facility for assassins with the rule of "no attachments." The film explores themes of seeking a normal identity, betrayal between friends and colleagues, and the peril of a family being held hostage. The concept of children being trained as killers is a central part of the backstory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barely Lethal appropriate for kids?
Bontent's parent guide suggests Barely Lethal is best for ages 13+. It's rated PG-13. Barely Lethal is a PG-13 action-comedy about a teenage assassin, Megan (Agent 83), who fakes her death to experience a normal high school life. The film's rating is primarily for action violence, sexual material, teen…
What age rating does Barely Lethal have?
Barely Lethal is officially rated PG-13. Bontent's independent parent guide recommends it for ages 13+.
What is Barely Lethal about?
Barely Lethal is a PG-13 action-comedy about a teenage assassin, Megan (Agent 83), who fakes her death to experience a normal high school life. The film's rating is primarily for action violence, sexual material, teen drinking, and language. The violence is stylized and mostly bloodless, involving martial arts fights…
Is there sex or nudity in Barely Lethal?
Sexual content is mild and mostly played for laughs. In one scene at a party, a girl is seen with a crude penis drawn on her face in marker, which is referenced with some suggestive comments. There is some flirting between teens, and a rival assassin tries to…
How violent is Barely Lethal?
Violence is moderate, frequent, and highly stylized, typical of the action-comedy genre. It includes hand-to-hand combat with kicks and punches, a car chase, and a final confrontation involving mercenaries. A character is stabbed in the leg with a corndog…
Is the language in Barely Lethal appropriate for kids?
Language is moderate for a PG-13 film. The dialogue includes approximately 10 uses of "bitch," 7 uses of "shit," and one use each of "damn" and "bastard." The film contains a single, non-sexual use of the word "fuck."
Are drugs, alcohol, or smoking shown in Barely Lethal?
Substance use includes a prominent scene at a high school party where teenagers are shown drinking beer from red cups, and one character becomes visibly intoxicated. In another scene, a parent has a conversation with his son that includes numerous slang…
What mature themes appear in Barely Lethal?
Thematic content includes orphanhood, as the protagonist was raised in a government facility for assassins with the rule of "no attachments." The film explores themes of seeking a normal identity, betrayal between friends and colleagues, and the peril of a…
How long is Barely Lethal?
Barely Lethal runs 98 minutes, directed by Kyle Newman, released in 2015.
Where can I read the full Barely Lethal parent guide?
Create a free Bontent account to unlock the full scene-by-scene notes, filter by your kids' ages, and save titles to your personal watchlist.
Parents also checked these movies for 13-year-olds
Sign up to filter
Movies like Barely Lethal with similar intensity
Sign up to filter
Less intense movies for families
Sign up to filter
More action movies with parent guides
- Interstellar parent guide
- Inception parent guide
- The Avengers parent guide
- The Dark Knight parent guide
- Avatar parent guide
- Deadpool parent guide
- Avengers: Infinity War parent guide
- Pulp Fiction parent guide
- Forrest Gump parent guide
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone parent guide
- Guardians of the Galaxy parent guide
- Iron Man parent guide
More movies with Bontent parent guides
- Sibyl parent guide
- An American Pickle parent guide
- Science Fiction Volume One: The Osiris Child parent guide
- Grand Piano parent guide
- Planet Hulk parent guide
- Full Speed parent guide
- A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby parent guide
- Hoodwinked Too! Hood VS. Evil parent guide
- Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant parent guide
- Mr. Church parent guide
- Barbie: The Princess & the Popstar parent guide
- Them parent guide
- Don't Worry, I'm Fine parent guide
- Day Watch parent guide
- Friends with Money parent guide
- Lifted parent guide