Common Sense Media Review
Comedic cult classic has lots of sexual innuendo.
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 29 parent reviews
Parents say that while the film is a beloved cult classic with great musical numbers and an important message about individuality and acceptance, it contains numerous sexual innuendos and themes that may not be suitable for younger audiences. Many reviewers emphasize the need for parental discretion regarding children's maturity levels, highlighting a mix of opinions about its appropriateness for preteens and teens, particularly because of some graphic scenes and themes of consent.
- sexual themes
- parental discretion
- mature content
- cult classic
- self-acceptance
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 107 kid reviews
What's the Story?
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW opens with conservative young couple Brad and Janet (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon) experiencing a flat tire on a rainy night. They find shelter in the menacing castle of Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry), a mad scientist. The film follows Brad and Janet's descent into the world of Dr. Frank N. Furter and his minions, Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien, who wrote the original Rocky Horror stage musical and co-wrote the movie script), Magenta (Patricia Quinn), and Columbia (Nell Campbell). Frank is building the perfect love god: a muscle-bound blond named Rocky (Peter Hinwood). As Brad and Janet discover their own sexualities and Rocky desperately tries to find his own, the film gets more surreal, ending in the massive revelation that Frank's glammed-out, androgynous self is more than just different, it's out of this world.
Is It Any Good?
The definition of kitsch, this campy, musical spoof on the haunted-castle horror movie encompasses a glam-rock world of androgyny with wild, offbeat characters. Adults have been gathering at midnight viewings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show since its 1975 debut—making it the epitome of a cult classic.
The movie has a built-in audience: lovers of glam rock and the world it sings along to. For this audience, it's like watching their favorite concert come to life. Rocky Horror is one of the best, if not the best-executed, examples of a film that celebrates the odd, the rejected, and the rock-'n'-roll misfits who live by the beat of their own wayward drum.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Rocky Horror Picture Show's themes of personal and sexual individuality and the concept of "fitting in." What lessons are presented here?
Starting in New York City, this movie grew into one of the best-known "cult classics" of all time, in which moviegoers dress like the characters, dance to the musical numbers, and shout well-timed sarcastic remarks at the screen. What do you think is the seemingly timeless appeal of this movie? What are some other examples of cult classics?
When the movie was released in 1975, many of the themes and content elements were considered taboo, especially its presentation of gender fluidity. How has our understanding of gender and sexuality changed since this movie was made? How has our language to describe them changed? Are these still controversial topics? Why, or why not?
Brad and Janet both have sex for the first time in the movie. How is consent portrayed? Why is clear, uncoerced consent so important when it comes to romance and sex?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 26, 1975
- On DVD or streaming : October 3, 2000
- Cast : Barry Bostwick , Susan Sarandon , Tim Curry
- Director : Jim Sharman
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Bisexual Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Musical
- Run time : 106 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : content
- Last updated : August 15, 2025
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