The Reflecting Skin (1990) - Parents Guide Movie Rating

MPA: R BBFC: 15 Maturity Rating 16+

MPAA Reason: Rated R for intense violent behavior, and for sensuality.

BBFC Reason: strong sex references, nudity

BBFC Ratings info: THE REFLECTING SKIN is a drama about a young boy living in an isolated farming community in Canada. Sex: There is a scene in which two young boys watch a woman sitting on a chair and rubbing her hands over her clothed body as she moans with pleasure and breathes heavily, implying masturbation. Nudity: Two characters kiss passionately, after which we see the man lying naked on the woman's lap. A boy looks at a photograph of a naked woman posing, there is breast nudity only. A man covers himself in petrol before striking a match. The subsequent scene shows the area up in flames implying he has burnt himself to death. There are verbal references to child molestation. There is a scene in which some young boys blow up a frog with a reed and it explodes next to a woman. Her face becomes covered in blood and she screams. There is occasional sight of dead bodies.

Sex & Nudity

mild

A woman is seen pleasuring herself and moaning. Not Graphic. Woman approaches and kisses a man, strokes his bare chest and then starts removing his shirt. A young boy opens her bedroom door to show the man then lying naked, held on the floor in the arms of the woman, who is completely dressed. Nudity includes male full rear nudity. Older brother has a photograph a naked woman in his wallet. The younger brother takes it out to look at it and brother tells him he can keep it. No explicit nudity. There is talk and suspicion of child molestation. Nothing shown, just talked about.

Violence & Gore

moderate

Some children explode a frog in front of a woman, blood flies everywhere and covers the woman in blood. A man talks about his injuries, nothing graphic. Dead bodies are seen, they are not bloody but some of them are children and may be distressing for some viewers. A man sets himself on fire.

Profanity

mild

1 use of "bastard", a couple uses of "damn", 1 use of "shit"

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

mild

Frightening & Intense Scenes

severe

Child abuse of various kinds is a recurring theme in the film. One adult character strokes a small boy flirtatiously, and this is disturbing to watch. A dead and rotting newborn baby is confused with being the fallen angel of a dead side character. Very disturbing.