Mercury Rising (1998) Parents Guide: Is the movie OK for kids?
Age Rating, Sex, Violence & Language
Renegade FBI agent Art Jeffries protects a nine-year-old autistic boy who has cracked the government's new "unbreakable" code.
Rated R • 1998 • 1h 51m
Mercury Rising is an R-rated thriller about renegade FBI agent Art Jeffries (Bruce Willis) protecting nine-year-old autistic savant Simon Lynch after the boy cracks a top-secret NSA code. The film earns its R rating mainly for frequent, strong violence (multiple murders, shootouts, visible blood), repeated strong profanity, and intense themes — especially a child in grave danger and the murder of his parents. There is minimal sexual… Sign up for the full guide
Cast
Is Mercury Rising appropriate for kids?
Mercury Rising is an R-rated thriller about renegade FBI agent Art Jeffries (Bruce Willis) protecting nine-year-old autistic savant Simon Lynch after the boy cracks a top-secret NSA code. The film earns its R rating mainly for frequent, strong violence (multiple murders… Read more — free account
Content severity in Mercury Rising
What happens in Mercury Rising, moment by moment
- 0:03 ⚔ Violence & Gore 8/10
- 0:07 ⚔ Violence & Gore 4/10
- 0:12 💬 Language 7/10
Sex and nudity in Mercury Rising
Very minimal. There is no nudity or explicit sexual activity; the film includes one or two brief lip/cheek kisses and a line/conversation that refers to an adult's inappropriate behavior toward a child. IMDb's Parents Guide similarly lists no nudity and only these non-graphic, incidental moments.
Violence and gore in Mercury Rising
Strong and frequent. The movie opens with a prolonged bank hostage/raid sequence with multiple people shot, and later shows the violent murders of Simon's parents (shots with visible blood). There are multiple attempted assassinations, a brutal subway fight, a man knocked onto train tracks and killed, and a climactic rooftop gunfight where plexiglass shards slash an attacker and the corrupt Colonel Kudrow is shot and falls to his death. Several on-screen shootings and pools of blood are visible; the tone is often…
Read more — free accountLanguage in Mercury Rising
Frequent strong profanity. IMDb notes the F-word is used repeatedly (about a dozen times) along with occasional other coarse words; expect several loud, explicit swears from adult characters, particularly Art Jeffries when he is angry.
Drugs, alcohol, and smoking in Mercury Rising
Mild. Art is shown drinking (a beer in a bar and sampling wine bottles) and is seen with prescription pills; at one point he discards pills by emptying a container on the ground. No illegal drug use or extended substance-abuse sequences.
Mature themes in Mercury Rising
Strong, adult themes. The film centers on an autistic child being targeted by his own government's operatives, so it contains grief (the deaths of Simon's parents), intimidation and betrayal by institutions (NSA/FBI corruption), and persistent child-in-peril material. The conspiracy and moral questions about surveillance and national security run throughout and contribute to the movie's intensity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mercury Rising appropriate for kids?
Bontent's parent guide suggests Mercury Rising is best for ages 13+. It's rated R. Mercury Rising is an R-rated thriller about renegade FBI agent Art Jeffries (Bruce Willis) protecting nine-year-old autistic savant Simon Lynch after the boy cracks a top-secret NSA code. The film earns its R rating…
What age rating does Mercury Rising have?
Mercury Rising is officially rated R. Bontent's independent parent guide recommends it for ages 13+.
What is Mercury Rising about?
Mercury Rising is an R-rated thriller about renegade FBI agent Art Jeffries (Bruce Willis) protecting nine-year-old autistic savant Simon Lynch after the boy cracks a top-secret NSA code. The film earns its R rating mainly for frequent, strong violence (multiple murders, shootouts, visible blood), repeated strong…
Is there sex or nudity in Mercury Rising?
Very minimal. There is no nudity or explicit sexual activity; the film includes one or two brief lip/cheek kisses and a line/conversation that refers to an adult's inappropriate behavior toward a child. IMDb's Parents Guide similarly lists no nudity and only…
How violent is Mercury Rising?
Strong and frequent. The movie opens with a prolonged bank hostage/raid sequence with multiple people shot, and later shows the violent murders of Simon's parents (shots with visible blood). There are multiple attempted assassinations, a brutal subway fight…
Is the language in Mercury Rising appropriate for kids?
Frequent strong profanity. IMDb notes the F-word is used repeatedly (about a dozen times) along with occasional other coarse words; expect several loud, explicit swears from adult characters, particularly Art Jeffries when he is angry.
Are drugs, alcohol, or smoking shown in Mercury Rising?
Mild. Art is shown drinking (a beer in a bar and sampling wine bottles) and is seen with prescription pills; at one point he discards pills by emptying a container on the ground. No illegal drug use or extended substance-abuse sequences.
What mature themes appear in Mercury Rising?
Strong, adult themes. The film centers on an autistic child being targeted by his own government's operatives, so it contains grief (the deaths of Simon's parents), intimidation and betrayal by institutions (NSA/FBI corruption), and persistent child-in-peril…
How long is Mercury Rising?
Mercury Rising runs 111 minutes, directed by Harold Becker, released in 1998.
Where can I read the full Mercury Rising 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 Mercury Rising 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
- Fight Club parent guide
- Avengers: Infinity War parent guide
- The Shawshank Redemption parent guide
- Pulp Fiction parent guide
- Forrest Gump parent guide
- Guardians of the Galaxy parent guide
More movies with Bontent parent guides
- 365 Days: This Day parent guide
- Noelle parent guide
- Sullivan's Travels parent guide
- To the Wonder parent guide
- Sibyl parent guide
- Boiling Point parent guide
- Killing Season parent guide
- Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King parent guide
- A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby parent guide
- Barbie Presents: Thumbelina parent guide
- Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant parent guide
- Mr. Church parent guide
- Day Watch parent guide
- Lifted parent guide
- We Have a Pope parent guide
- Home parent guide