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No one younger than 18 may see an 18 film in a cinema. No one younger than 18 may rent or buy an 18 rated video work. Adults should be free to choose their own entertainment.

–BBFC

BBFC 18
BBFC 18 2002

2002–2019

18 is a certificate given by the BBFC determining that a particular form of media is suitable only for adults. Nobody younger than 18 can buy an 18-rated video, or see an 18-rated film in a cinema. It is the spiritual successor to the X certificate. The age restriction of the 18 certificate is enforced by councils, not the BBFC.

There are no official content guidelines at 18, but the content exceeds the permissible limits at 15.

Although a direct equivalent to the NC-17 rating used for films in the United States, unlike the US NC-17 rating, films classified 18 in the UK are commonly shown in mainstream UK cinemas, as these films are normally rated R in the US.

It is as well an equivalent to the hard TV-MA rating used for TV in the United States.

Along with the 15 rating, the BBFC 18 rating was also used as an available classification for video games prior to 2012, when PEGI ratings became legally binding.

List[]

  • As of June 8, 2023, there are over 14,000 18 rated titles according to IMDb. (list)

Content of 18-rated works[]

Violence is often very strong and accompanied by revulsive gore. Highly gruesome imagery is allowed. There may be frequent, realistically simulated sex scenes. The strongest terms of language (example: 'c*nt'), or sometimes mildest terms of language (example: 'freak') or no use of language at all, can be used frequently in 18-rated works. Promotion of, or hard drug use would fall into this category.

Depictions of violence vary considerably between 18-rated works, with some featuring relatively brief violence that is arguably less strong than that of some 15-rated works (e.g. Fight Club compared to Final Destination), while some, such as the Saw series, feature extreme, graphic, sadistic violence that undoubtedly warrants the rating. Contrary to popular belief, the frequent gory images in the Final Destination series is not caused by violence, and they are not particularly graphic, which means all of the films in the series were given 15 certificates rather than 18. In addition, The Witchfinder General; a 1968 historical fact drama based on the accounts of Matthew Hopkins who was a corrupt witch hunter appointed by Oliver Cromwell during The English Civil War; have no bloody violent scenes at all but rather having moderate scenes of violence like in PG/12A rated films despite being rated 18 in the present day.

It is rare for films and series to be rated 18 solely for very strong language, though it does sometimes occur (e.g. Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen and The Thick of It). However, to stay true to the gothic horror novel of the same name by the late author Anne Rice, Interview With The Vampire is the only 18-rated film that does not have strong language and instead uses the terms of mild language (example: 'idiot', 'Jesus Christ').

Sex works[]

While adults should be free to choose their own entertainment, exceptions apply to sex works.

  • A sex work is a work whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation.
  • Some sex works can contain simulated sexual activity and that can be placed at 18.
  • Works containing clear images of real sex or strong fetish material will be confined to the R18 category.
  • A sex work that cannot be accepted at R18 also cannot be accepted at 18.
  • Some works with images of strong real sex were passed 18, given that those works are not sex works.

Statistics[]

2022 Annual Report and Accounts: 62 films for cinema release were given 18 certificates, of which one was cut.

18-small

Animated 18 logo


British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)
BBFC U BBFC PG BBFC 12A BBFC 12 BBFC 15 BBFC 18 BBFC R18

Formerly used certificates: A | H | X | AA | Uc | PG-12

History of certificates | Video Recordings Act 1984 | Rejected works | Cut works | Discrepancies

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