Nighthawks (1981) - Parents Guide Movie Rating

MPA: R BBFC: 18 Maturity Rating 18+

BBFC Reason: strong violence

BBFC Ratings info: NIGHTHAWKS is a US action film thriller in which a cop must thwart a terrorist plot. Violence: Scenes of violence include fist fights and shootings, sometimes resulting in bloody injury. There are also scenes of threat in which terrorists plant bombs or hold people hostage. Strong language includes uses of 'f**k' and 'motherf**ker'.

Sex & Nudity

none

A single reference. Nothing to be concerned about. None

Violence & Gore

severe

A man shoots a woman in the back in a nightclub (bloody hole seen), and then fires at two cops. Two muggers attack two undercover cops in the beginning. One cop knocks a man over and punches him a few times, then kicks him. The other cop chases down the last mugger, who attacks him with a knife. He disarms the man, and knocks him out. A man shoots a woman in a TRAM car (not graphic), and throws her body out,. It falls into the river below. There's a brief shootout between a man and several cops. A woman is shot in the head (small hole seen, blood spatters on a bus), and much gunfire is exchanged. The man escapes in the bus, and it crashes off a pier and lands in a river. Two cops with guns burst into a room full of men and hold them at gunpoint, and one of them roughs a man up and pushes him down, holding him at gunpoint. Wulfgar shoots several men in a stairwell (very bloody), and then shoots another man. The man's corpse is seen with a large bloody bullet hole visible, as well as blood spatter on the wall. There's a long foot chase in which two cops pursue a man through streets, a construction site, and a subway station. The man shoots at them, and they return fire. The man holds a woman at knifepoint, but lets her go, and the chase ends when he cuts one of the cop's faces with a razor (mildly bloody), and escapes. Wulfgar kills a woman (off-screen). Scene fades out before it happens, but we learn later that she's dead. Wulfgar is shot twice at the end of the movie. Graphic and bloody.

Profanity

severe

19 uses of "f**k" (8 paired with "mother"), 6 uses of "shit", 6 uses of "hell", 7 uses of "damn" (2 paired with "God"), 7 uses of "ass" (1 used as "asshole"), 5 uses of "bitch", 3 uses of "bastard", 4 uses of "Christ", and 1 use of "Jesus".

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

mild

Alcohol is seen being poured at a party.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

moderate

The foot chase is very long and intense. The opening scene is intense. The TRAM car scene is intense. The whole movie is extremely intense, particulary scenes with Wulfgar. Wulfgar is sadistic and a very menacing character.