The language in this movie was so offensive I could only manage to watch half of it and even then I felt like I needed a bath. I couldn't even keep up with the conversation for the superfluous cursing. My boyfriend did watch it in its entirety and commented that after a while he just got oblivious to the language. Personally, that's not something I want to get numb to.
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The Departed
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 15. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Violent, well-done thriller. Not for kids.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 15–17
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About The Departed
Parents need to know that this film is not for kids -- but many will want to see it due to the incredibly heavy promotion during TV shows popular with kids. It's far too graphically violent for those under 17, including images of heads being shot and spurting blood, limbs being broken, bodies sprawled and bloody, and expressions of pain by victims of shootings and beatings. Sexual imagery includes a scene in a porn theater that cuts to the screen (the actors are engaged in sexual activity, but no X-rated shots are visible) and frequent sexual slang (some of which is homophobic). Characters smoke in almost every scene, and drink occasionally, and Billy takes pills throughout the film, indicating his increasing paranoia and depression.
Read our full review by Cynthia Fuchs
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about the difficulties posed by loyalties and lies. In order to do their job, the two moles have to lie to their friends, associates, and family. What emotional difficulties does that situation create? What kind of stress would that put on your life over a long period of time? How would you feel if you found out someone you cared about was living a double life? Also, what function does Madolyn serve as the protagonists' therapist and lover? And how are both moles' "father figures" -- Frank the gangster and Captain Queenan -- similar?
Our Members Say
See all 49 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title off for age 2 and give it
Cover Your Ears
- I rate this title on for age 16 and give it
okay
pretty good movie 16 and over
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
The Departed has memorable scenes and movie.
I have always been mesmerized by the great director Martin Scorsese and this is surely another mesmerizer and anyone who likes movies will love this one. Great Oscar-winner.
- I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
Although, GREAT FILM ...Not even a movie I would EVER chose to watch with my children!
First saw the beginning of this movie on cable channel (that censored some of the profanity) I was not able to finish it and ended up borrowing it from a library. For some reason I watched it by myself instead of watching it with my family first - GREAT CHOICE. I was definitely pulled in by the plot and characters! Fantastic job in script and directing. However, that MAIN things that turned me off was the excessive PROFANITY AND SEXUAL CONTENT OF JOKES. In addition, to the profanity, sexual innuendos and jokes the scene in the porno theater is what got me the most! Nicholsons character acts as if he is sexually gratifying himself and acts as if he is pulling out his penis!!! Well, the camera actually shows one! I was a bit taken aback and glad that I did not watch it with my children or anyone else! Like I said-- great plot and fantastic acting, directing and filming but the profanity, sexual jokes and nudity was not necessary. No one under 17 or 18 should see this movie!
- I rate this title off for age 14 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
The Departed is, without doubt, one of the five best movies that I have ever seen. It is excellently written, acted, and filmed. It is also brutally and graphically violent. Bloody murders, shootings, and graphic facial expressions to go along with them abound. Literally ever sentance contains some sort of f__k, s__t, p___y,c__t, p___k, and other expletives. Sex is not much of an issue, but sexual dialogue is frequent and graphic. Characters drink and abuse drugs to cope with the horrors of their jobs. Not a movie for kids, tweens, or teens. Excellent film! Well worth every second.
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
Favorite movie ever
Has been my favorite movie ever since. Unless you have a f**k issue, I dont see anything more than a fantastic movie.
- I rate this title off for age 16 and give it
Brilliant but Disturbing
This movie was organally rated 17 and up???? What happened to this rating. There is no way this movie is apropiate for all let alone any 15 year olds
- I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
Violent, well-done thriller. Not for kids
I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give itgreat movie but pretty violent for kids
- I rate this title off for age 2 and give it
Great over-the-top crime movie. Right along the ranks of the Godfather.
Yeah, it's me again. The kid who watches hard "R" REALLY violent movies. Except I think this one's main problem was language. "The f**ck" "F**ck" and "F**cking" were inserted into every available slot of language in this film. Over 200 hundred uses, and parents, that stuff can and will get into your kid's heads. And then they'll be saying it, and you'll have to start punishing them. Of course, that wasn't the only word in there, but definitely the dominant one. Lots of "S**ts" and all the other words you don't like. PLUS there was a LOT of sexually related dialogue. Not discussions of sex, but loads of fingers and slang terms for private areas. And more. Apart from that, the sex wasn't too bad. No REALLY explicit sex ever happens. It's only ever implied. In the most offensive sex scene, we see a guy shirtless, a girl in her bra and panties, and we see a bit of her bare butt under those panties. That's all for nudity. Oh, and there is the scene in the porn theater, and it's true, we don't see anything truly explicit on screen, but hear some sexually related noises and see what you THINK is a guy's penis, but, well, it isn't. Just a bad joke. Violence: WAY too many splatters of blood. That's the main offender. You can't really say there's GORE, but there are loads and loads of blood splatters, including three or more very graphic shots to the head. You know, this movie was excellent, but they COULD have avoided at least a little of this stuff. Loads of drugs too, commercialism is mostly in the way of cell phones, and there is some mild racism at the beginning. Did I mention language? I recommend this for sixteen and up, or any VERY mature teenager. At LEAST my age, okay? EXCELLENT movie, if you don't mind all the language, watch it. But it was not made for kids.
- I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it
Very good, not for kids
It's a good movie, very good. It's just not for kids.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
good movie
lots of the F word in it over 200 times.it is a good movie but there is a lot of violence and some sexual content there in this porno movie. this is were they meet so no one finds them. and frank takes his pants of flashing his gennitals but it is only for a second. if you let your kid see this make sure they know this kind of language is very wrong. and if they get in trouble for reapeating it dont let them watch these kinds of movies. i am in middle school and i here kids talk like this sometimes which annoys me
- I rate this title off for age 2 and give it
awesome movie but it is very violent with a bunch of F**ks that come out of nowhere. dont see it if you dont like brutal violent movies.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
Amazing Movie
This is a truly outstanding movie from Scorsese. The directing, acting, writing, basically everything is superb. Just like Scorsese's "Taxi Driver", it effectively explores the theme of identity. It tells the story of two men pretending to be on the other side of the law, each feeling guilt at their actions and searching themselves for identity. That being said, it is very violent and has constant profanity, and is not for children.
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Great movie, not for kids
This movie is VERY violent, very graphic, and had tons of language. There was no shortage of F-Bombs for sure. Overall it was a good and very entertaining and captivating movie. I thought it was really good. The violence and language are huge issues, and this is really not a kid's movie. The sex is a little bad, but not too much, other than sex language. Characters smoke and drink a lot.
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
Excellent movie, one Scourceses best. Much violence with blood mostly just to tourture some one and in the end when which I want ruin the movie for you. A lot of language, almost like Pulp Fiction, your teen should be able to handle language considering they probably hear it at school, I did.the sex is nothing you wouldn't see in a James Bond movie. I'd say okay for 15+ and if you don't want you're kid to see it, then you as a parent should watch it. It's that great of a movie.
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
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Ratings at a Glance
| 50% | of parents say there's too much drinking, drugs, or smoking |
| 50% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
| 50% | of parents say it's too violent |
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