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The Initiation of Sarah

(2007, Rated NR, Horror, Starring Mika Boorem, Jennifer Tilly, Summer Glau)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Extra-violent and snobby sorority horror remake.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    With few exceptions, the female characters (including one of the two adults) are obsessed with appearance and popularity. The sorority life is cast in a strongly negative light, suggesting that each group has a secret motive in its recruitment and recruits only girls who fit pre-determined criteria. Manipulation and trickery run rampant, even turning sisters against one another. Girls dress and act provocatively to influence boys' actions. Only one character enjoys a friendship based on a truly personal connection.

  • Violence:

    Ubiquitous violence includes lighting fires, throwing knives, stabbings, attempted strangulation, and discussion of human sacrifice.

  • Sex:

    Superficial comments like "he's a hottie," lots of flirting, ogling at females' breasts, kissing scenes, and talk of whether a character is a virgin is common fare. A few scenes imply that sex is to come or has just finished (with some post-coital re-dressing), though there's no nudity.

  • Language:

    Infrequent use of "bitch," "ass," and "hell."

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    In one scene, an underage student downs a beer in his dorm room.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Initiation of Sarah

Parents need to know that this revamped remake of a 1978 TV horror flick comes with a "viewer discretion" warning for good reason. The plot's eerie focus on witchcraft and human sacrifice (for the continued existence of evil witches) mixed with disturbing scenes of victims begging for their lives as they're chained to a sacrificial table is too much for kids -- even some younger teens. Violence is prevalent and includes two stabbings, some attempted strangulations (from afar, by magic), a fire started in a dorm room, and a few spell-casting exchanges. And if that's not enough, most of the characters are superficial, conniving coeds who see being in a "good" sorority as the ticket to their eternal popularity -- which seems to be the main purpose of their college life.

Read our full review by Emily Ashby

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the pressure for social acceptance. Who determines what's popular and what isn't? How does it feel to be on the outside looking in at the "cool kids"? How does the media affect our perception of ourselves? Parents of teens can also discuss Greek life on college campuses. Are kids interested in rushing a sorority or fraternity? What do you think the benefits would be? The drawbacks? What do you think of the rush process? Is real-life rush the same as what you see on TV and in movies?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    lilmisspixel
    Lives in South Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 3.0

    This was really good!

    This was a really good movie, and I think most ages could see it, but probably someone under 11 or 12 would be scared. The sex and violence really weren't bad, and the only sex scene is to protect someone (you would have to see the movie to get that) and it doesn't even show anything, it just implies it. The violence is not bad at all, even for me, and I get scared easily. The stabbings don't really show anything, and there is only 2 parts with any blood at all (and they aren't very gross)

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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