Edge of the World

Many beheadings -- although the actual action isn't shown -- with severed heads held up, presented as gifts, or impaled on poles. Knives and guns drawn during a standoff. Suspected thief chased, apprehended, and bound by the wrists. Bloody marks shown. Characters come under fire from pirates who shoot them with arrows. Bloody wounds dressed afterward. Cannons fired in other altercations. Character stabbed to death by multiple assailants, bloody injuries and distress shown. Huts burned down. A character has their ears cut off; although not shown, the bloody injuries are seen. A mass fight sees people being hit with poles and spears. A severed head, charred by fire, is seen. A chicken is killed off camera; blood is seen running down the hands and arms of the perpetrator.

Kissing and brief sex scene between a couple, no graphic nudity. Characters bathe together in a lake. Lighthearted discussion different cultures' attitudes toward premartial sex; some sexual innuendo. Male characters are seen shirtless. Traditional clothing reveals some non-sensitive body parts. Character seen in bed with two other people before being attacked. Suggestion that a character holds romantic feelings for another.

Use of the "N" word. Other language includes "swines" and "savages" to describe indigenous people. Use of "bastard."

Characters drink socially.

Parents need to know that Edge of the World (known as Rajah in some territories) is a historical drama that takes a positive view of different cultures working together, but also has bloody violence, including many beheadings. Set in 1840s Borneo, the movie is based on the real-life events of a group of British explorers led by Sir James Brooke (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Brooke is depicted as being compassionate and conscious of doing the right thing for the indigenous people. He's also portrayed as being positively received by the local people, but there's no doubt that the story is a 'White savior" narrative -- and since it centers on Brooke, rather than the indigenous people, we don't get a full picture of how people felt and what actually happened. Brooke and his allies battle pirates; while lives are spared where possible, there are bloody injuries. Heads are severed both as punishment and as warnings, and although the actual action is shielded from view, the heads are held aloft and impaled on poles. A relationship between two characters includes kissing and non-explicit sex. Some of the language used reflects the inescapable racism of colonialism, with some characters referring to the indigenous people as "swines," "savages," and the "N" word. On the positive side, some characters think critically about this behavior as they make an effort to negotiate cultural differences.

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