What we flagged
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Our take
This is a tender but dark modern fairy tale, full of Tim Burton's gothic look and a genuine streak of sadness. Edward's blades cause accidental cuts and build to a tense, violent finale where someone dies, as the once-friendly town hardens into a fearful mob. Along with some moderate language, there is the sudden death of a father figure and a spoken, untrue claim that Edward attacked a woman. That blend of fright, loss and the false accusation makes it a better match for older tweens moving into their teens.
Uplifting themes
At its core the film is about kindness, difference and valuing people for who they are instead of how they look. It invites viewers to feel an outsider's loneliness and the damage that fear can cause Edward stays gentle and giving through everything, and the mother who takes him in meets him with warmth and acceptance. Their plain decency shines against the cruelty of the town around them
Story (may spoil tone)
A small suburban town receives a visit from a castaway unfinished science experiment named Edward.
What we flagged
Details
Violence Edward's hands cut people by accident and, come the finale, on purpose,…
Edward's hands cut people by accident and, come the finale, on purpose, and a fight ends in a death. The threat and the stabbing are plain to see, though the effect is more startling than bloody
Language In frustrated moments characters reach for damn, hell, the s-word and t…
In frustrated moments characters reach for damn, hell, the s-word and the b-word. It is dotted through the suburban scenes and never builds into a barrage of hard swearing
Sex / nudity The romance stays mostly sweet and full of longing, with a kiss and a s…
The romance stays mostly sweet and full of longing, with a kiss and a single passing line about a character being naked. Nothing of the sort is actually shown
Drugs / alcohol Adults open beers and drink at neighbourhood barbecues through the film…
Adults open beers and drink at neighbourhood barbecues through the film. It stays as background social drinking, with no addiction storyline and no hard-drug scenes
Frightening The gothic castle, the whispering neighbours and a frightened mob lend…
The gothic castle, the whispering neighbours and a frightened mob lend the film an eerie, uneasy feel. A couple of scenes turn genuinely menacing, and younger kids may find the darker turn upsetting
Sexual violence Late on, a character claims out loud that Edward forced himself on a wo…
Late on, a character claims out loud that Edward forced himself on a woman, something the story makes clear is untrue and never shows on screen. It is only dialogue, yet it lands with real weight and may need talking through with younger teens
Child peril / abuse During the chaos a young boy gets into the path of Edward's blades and…
During the chaos a young boy gets into the path of Edward's blades and is nicked, with someone making a fuss about all the blood over what is a small cut. He is pulled to safety fast, but the moment is tense
Bullying / discrimination The neighbours swing from fascination to cruelty, first mocking and fre…
The neighbours swing from fascination to cruelty, first mocking and freezing Edward out and in the end chasing him as a freak. Watching the crowd turn is one of the film's hardest themes
Gore / death / weapons Edward's scissor hands leave small cuts and a little blood, and the end…
Edward's scissor hands leave small cuts and a little blood, and the ending brings a death by stabbing. The injuries are brief and the camera does not dwell on them
Grief / bereavement The kind inventor who created Edward dies without warning, leaving him…
The kind inventor who created Edward dies without warning, leaving him alone in the world. Between that early loss and the lonely ending, the film holds a lasting ache
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
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Talk after watching
- The neighbours go from welcoming Edward to turning on him. What makes a group treat someone as an outsider, and how could it have gone differently?
- A character tells a damaging lie about being attacked. Why might someone do that, and who gets hurt when they do?
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Edward Scissorhands
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