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Parents' Guide to

Ghostbusters

By Alex Orner, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Paranormal '80s classic has some scares, innuendo.

Movie PG 1984 107 minutes
Ghostbusters Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 10+

Based on 73 parent reviews

age 9+

Bonafide Classic!!!

PG has always meant parental guidance suggested. What I loved about watching these movies as a kid is that I watched them with my parents who were very active in explaining things and didn't just leave me to watch it by myself. As I got older I started to pick up on the more adult themes which made me enjoy it even more. I just watched it with my 9-year-old nephew and all he really cared about was just how cool the uniforms look and all the interesting ghosts that he saw. Everything else went over his head like it did mine when I was a kid. I'll wait a few years until he's a teenager and have him watch it again with me to see if he notices anything that's mature. It's fun to discover things that you didn't really care about when you were younger using the same movie but watching it at different periods in your life.
age 15+

Not for kids

This may have been funny in the 80’s but it is simply not appropriate for kids. There is a ton of language, sexual innuendos, womanizing, and 2 VERY inappropriate sex scenes.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (73 ):
Kids say (158 ):

Director Ivan Reitman's movie succeeds in combining comedy, action, and some scary stuff. Although Ghostbusters has some frightening moments -- and its "boys will be boys" handling of romance holds up extremely poorly -- Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis provide enough comic relief to lighten the fears. Considering its 1984 release date, the film's special effects are impressive, though today's kids may find them eye-roll-inducing. Younger kids might need their eyes covered during scary moments, and post-viewing conversations about what constitutes sexual harassment would not go amiss.

Movie Details

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