What age is Lights Out appropriate for?

Lights Out is rated PG-13 and PopcornCheck recommends it for ages 13+, based on reading the actual screenplay. The film includes graphic on-screen deaths (Diana killing Bret in the basement and a police officer in the dark), sustained darkness-based horror sequences, and disturbing reveals about Diana's tragic origin and Sophie's declining mental health.

Can a 11 year old watch Lights Out?

PopcornCheck recommends Lights Out for ages 13+, so it may be too mature for a 11 year old. Despite being a mainstream horror release, the film includes fairly frequent use of 'shit' (7 times) and a graphic, sudden on-screen death of a main character (Bret) in the basement, which may catch parents off guard expecting a more restrained PG-13-style horror film.

Does Lights Out have swearing or bad language?

Lights Out has Moderate language. The word 'shit' is used 7 times throughout the film

Is Lights Out violent?

Lights Out has Moderate violence. Diana attacks and kills Bret in the basement in a sudden, graphic death scene

Is Lights Out scary for children?

Lights Out has Moderate scary scenes. Diana's backstory is revealed as disturbing: she was locked in a basement as a child and her father later killed himself

Is Lights Out OK for Kids?

Name: Lights Out
Director: David F. Sandberg
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Released: 2016
Duration: 81 min
Cast: Teresa Palmer, Maria Bello, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Alicia Vela-Bailey

HorrorMystery

13+

PG-13⭐ 6.3 / 102016 · 1h 21m

David F. Sandberg

Where to Watch

United States

Rent

Rent or Buy on Amazon

Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay

🗡️Violence

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Cartoon / Comedic

Action & Peril

Injuries & Death Shown

Graphic & Disturbing

Diana attacks and kills Bret in the basement in a sudden, graphic death scene
A police officer who comes to help is attacked and killed by Diana in the dark
Rebecca is physically attacked and scratched by Diana upstairs during a chase
Sophie sacrifices herself by turning off all the lights to destroy Diana, an act shown as both violent and heroic
Dialogue implies Diana previously killed Rebecca's father, adding a disturbing backstory rather than an on-screen death
Diana lunges at characters repeatedly throughout the film whenever darkness falls, creating recurring moments of physical threat
Overall violence centers on sudden, brutal attacks in darkness rather than prolonged fight scenes or weapons use

💬Language

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mild Words

(damn, hell)

Moderate

(ass, b**ch)

Strong

(sh*t)

Extreme

(f**k)

The word 's**t' is used 7 times throughout the film
'Hell' is used once and 'b**ch' is used once
No f-words or c-words are present in the script
Language is infrequent but concentrated during high-stress moments like the power outage and basement scenes

👻Scary Scenes

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mildly Tense

Startling Moments

Genuinely Scary

Deeply Disturbing

Diana's backstory is revealed as disturbing: she was locked in a basement as a child and her father later killed himself
A prolonged power outage traps the family in complete darkness with Diana hunting them, creating sustained dread
Sudden attacks occur when characters cannot see Diana coming, functioning as jump scares in the dark
It's revealed Diana is a supernatural entity that feeds on darkness, making the threat inescapable rather than something to simply outrun
A black light is used to reveal Diana's form, showing that she does not disappear even in dim light, heightening tension
Martin being left alone in the house with his unstable mother and the supernatural threat is portrayed as frightening and isolating
Scares are resolved through Sophie's self-sacrifice, ending the threat but leaving an emotionally heavy aftermath

💕Romance

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Crushes & Holding Hands

Kissing & Dating

Suggestive

Sexual Content

Bret and Rebecca have an intimate scene together, after which she kicks him out of bed and her apartment
Bret jokingly suggests joining Rebecca in the shower; she declines
Bret wants to stay over and pursue more commitment, but Rebecca sets firm boundaries and refuses
Playful, suggestive banter occurs between Bret and Rebecca about socks and 'anchors' rather than any depicted sexual content

🍺Substances

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mentioned in Passing

Shown Casually

Featured Prominently

Glorified or Abused

There is an ongoing question of whether Sophie is taking her antidepressants, and she is shown coming off her medication
References are made to Sophie's history of mental health treatment and a past psychiatric hospital stay
Substance use here is medical/psychiatric in nature rather than recreational, and is treated seriously as part of the family's crisis

⚡Stimulation

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Gently Engaging

Exciting

Intense

Overwhelming

The basement escape sequence combines total darkness, a supernatural threat, and time pressure for a highly tense sequence
The final confrontation with Diana involves darkness, police involvement, and rapid escalation
The power outage sequence is overwhelming, with characters hunted through the house in complete darkness
Bret's death scene in the basement is brutal and sudden, contributing to an intense sensory spike
Sensory-sensitive children may find the sustained darkness-and-threat premise difficult to sit through

Lights Out — Heads Up for Parents

Despite being a mainstream horror release, the film includes fairly frequent use of 's**t' (7 times) and a graphic, sudden on-screen death of a main character (Bret) in the basement, which may catch parents off guard expecting a more restrained PG-13-style horror film.

About Lights Out

Lights Out is a supernatural horror film about a family haunted by Diana, a vengeful entity tied to the mother's psychiatric past who can only exist and attack in darkness. As the mother's mental illness worsens and the lights keep failing, her children and a boyfriend must find a way to survive and destroy Diana before she claims them all. The tone is tense, grief-laden, and frightening, blending jump scares with themes of mental illness and family sacrifice.

👨‍👧

Best watched together

The film's themes of Sophie's worsening mental illness, her eventual self-sacrifice, and Diana's disturbing backstory involving a parent's suicide are heavy enough that younger teens (13-15) would benefit from a parent present to discuss the mental health themes and process the scarier sequences.

Family Takeaways from Lights Out

What it gets right

✓Rebecca returning to help Martin despite her estrangement from the family shows the value of reconnecting for loved ones in crisis
✓Bret staying to protect the family despite the danger, and comforting Martin afterward, models care and steadiness in a frightening situation

Lights Out Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Values & Themes

●Traditional family values

The film centers on family protection and sacrifice, shown when Rebecca returns to help her estranged brother Martin and when Sophie sacrifices herself to save her children from Diana.

Cast:Teresa PalmerMaria BelloGabriel BatemanAlexander DiPersiaAlicia Vela-Bailey