The British Board of Film Classification has announced that Todd Phillips’ “Joker” is the most complained about release of 2019 across the UK.
Across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, “Joker” was handed a 15 rating deeming it suitable for viewers of 15 years and over. The information comes from the BBFC’s just published annual report (via CBM) which indicates that with its dark themes, complaints about “Joker” topped the list with much of it being about the film’s rating being too lenient.
The BBFC explains its reasoning for the 15 rating: “Several stated that we should have classified the film 18 because of violence and the film’s tone. A small number felt that the film should be banned. There are scenes of strong violence in the film that include stabbings and shootings, with accompanying bloody injury detail. They do not, however, dwell on the infliction of pain or injury in a manner that requires an 18.”
The 18 classification is rarely seen in films these days in the UK, and does have an impact on a film’s chances at the box office. Ratings however change with time as The BBC points out with “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” scoring an X upon release, dropping to a 15 by the time it hit video and last year was downgraded to a 12A rating for its 40th anniversary re-release.
