My parents are very strict about what I watch. I have seen less then a dozen R-rated flicks in my time, much unlike most of my friends, and this one was most definitely worth watching. The violence, while gritty and at times disturbing, is flawlessly done in a way that makes you want to keep watching, while still shocking enough to keep you interested. Most deaths are shown, but you don't normally see the faces of the victims. The only death I found particularly disturbing was that of the four year old. Another factor to point out is Mathilda's urge to kill. She may be 12, but she has no problem shooting a gun out a window, not caring where the bullets end up. Gary Oldman's performance is disturbing and amazing at the same time; he plays the 'bad cop' role perfectly. Teenagers will appreciate the artfulness of the film, such as the lighting (perfect) and camera angles. It's older, but not dated. Many R-rated films these days thrown in more gruesome and explicit violence than is necessary by any means, which this one avoids. A good starter for a teen begging to see an r-rated movie (like me!). Not a hard-r film, but know your child before you let them see it.