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Inception poster

Inception

Movie 2010 148 min Action, Science Fiction, Adventure Last reviewed 23 Sep 2026
Official Rating M ClearAge 14+

Why our age differs

Official AU rating is M. We say 14+ because self-harm themes raise the floor above a light M.

What we flagged

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Violence
Moderate
Sex and Nudity
Mild
Frightening
Moderate
Language
Mild

Our take

A cerebral action film about thieves who enter dreams. Stylish shootouts, chases, zero-gravity fights and loud set pieces land with little gore. Grief and a suicide in the past drive the emotional core, plus mild swearing and brief romance. Fine with a parent from 14. Younger kids who dislike intense action or sad spouse-loss stories may struggle.

Uplifting themes

Teamwork, trust and choosing to face grief instead of living in a dream A skilled crew back each other up, even while the lead stays haunted It plays with ideas about memory, architecture and how stories stick

Story (may spoil tone)

Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.

What we flagged

View all categories

Violence
Moderate
Sex and Nudity
Mild
Frightening
Moderate
Language
Mild

Details

Violence Moderate Gunfights, fistfights, chases and zero-gravity scraps in dream worlds.…

Gunfights, fistfights, chases and zero-gravity scraps in dream worlds. Impact is clear but not sadistic

Language Mild Mild swearing such as hell, damn, the a-word and bloody hell

Mild swearing such as hell, damn, the a-word and bloody hell

Sex / nudity Mild Brief kisses, plus talk of a past marriage

Brief kisses, plus talk of a past marriage

Drugs / alcohol Mild Sedatives and shared-dream tech put people under for the heist

Sedatives and shared-dream tech put people under for the heist

Frightening Moderate Dreams collapse, armed projections attack and limbo feels endless

Dreams collapse, armed projections attack and limbo feels endless

Self-harm / suicide Moderate A spouse's suicide sits at the heart of the guilt story. It is plot-hea…

A spouse's suicide sits at the heart of the guilt story. It is plot-heavy rather than graphic

Gore / death / weapons Mild Guns and some blood appear in dream fights, without lingering wound det…

Guns and some blood appear in dream fights, without lingering wound detail

Mental health Mild Guilt, projections and blurred reality weigh on the lead

Guilt, projections and blurred reality weigh on the lead

Grief / bereavement Moderate Loss of a wife drives the emotional story from start to finish

Loss of a wife drives the emotional story from start to finish

Flashing lights We do not have enough information about flashing lights for this versio…

We do not have enough information about flashing lights for this version to confidently confirm.

Talk after watching

  • How do you tell a real memory from a story you keep telling yourself?
  • When does letting go of guilt help, and when does it feel like quitting on someone?