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The King

Parents guide · ClearAge age 15+ · Official MA15+

Movie 2019 140 min Drama, History, War Checked by Dan S · 28 Oct 2026
Official Rating MA 15+ ClearAge 15+

What we flagged

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Violence
Strong
Frightening
Moderate
Language
Moderate

Our take

The King is a grim Henry V story with sword killings, battlefield blood, and the weight of royal decisions. Strong language appears in bursts, wine flows in tavern and court life, and war talk stays blunt about slaughter. Period politics and mentorship give it some classroom value beside the carnage. Sustained medieval violence makes this a hard watch for younger teens.

Uplifting themes

Duty, doubt, and the moral cost of power get serious time beside the battles. The film keeps asking whether victory is worth the souls spent on the field Hal tries to lead with conscience among cynical advisers who want war. Many court figures model manipulation instead of care for the people under them A dramatised Henry V arc can open talk about medieval kingship, Agincourt, and how history bends in fiction. Useful beside a history unit, not a textbook

Story (may spoil tone)

England, 15th century. Hal, a capricious prince who lives among the populace far from court, is forced by circumstances to reluctantly accept the throne and become Henry V.

What we flagged

View all categories

Violence
Strong
Frightening
Moderate
Language
Moderate

Details

Violence Strong Duels, executions, and a major muddy battle put swords through bodies o…

Duels, executions, and a major muddy battle put swords through bodies on screen. Killing is treated as the dirty cost of kingship, not cartoon heroics

Language Moderate The f-word lands in threats and outbursts, with hell used in martial sp…

The f-word lands in threats and outbursts, with hell used in martial speeches. Swearing is sharp when it comes, not every line of court talk

Drugs / alcohol Mild Wine is poured in taverns and halls, and characters accuse each other o…

Wine is poured in taverns and halls, and characters accuse each other of being drunk. Drinking fits the period social world

Frightening Moderate Battlefield chaos, hanging threats, and talk of monsters among men keep…

Battlefield chaos, hanging threats, and talk of monsters among men keep a heavy dread. The fear is historical and muddy, not ghost-story scares

Gore / death / weapons Strong Stabbing sounds, bloody fields, and talk of draining a body of blood ma…

Stabbing sounds, bloody fields, and talk of draining a body of blood make injury hard to look away from. Weapons and corpses stay central to the war chapters

Grief / bereavement Mild Brothers and soldiers die, and Hal carries the stain of killing into qu…

Brothers and soldiers die, and Hal carries the stain of killing into quieter scenes. Loss is political and personal at once

Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.

We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.

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Talk after watching

  • Hal never wanted the crown, then has to wear it. When should a reluctant person still accept responsibility?
  • Advisers push him toward war. How do you tell wise counsel from people feeding their own power?

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