Parents' Guide to Ghost Ship

Movie R 2002 91 minutes
Ghost Ship Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

By Carly Kocurek , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 18+

Do not board Ghost Ship.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 18+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 11+

Based on 6 parent reviews

age 13+

Based on 10 kid reviews

What's the Story?

If there is one thing characters should know in horror films, it's that entering an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere is never a good idea. The characters in GHOST SHIP of course ignore this simple rule, resulting in a bloody confrontation that leaves only one member left standing. Things go horribly wrong for a salvage crew assigned to recover a passenger ship missing since 1962. Despite such odd occurrences as the appearance of a ghost girl, the team continues to explore the ship. The crew finds what seems like a fortune –- boxes filled with gold bars. Of course, nothing in horror films comes without a price.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 6 ):
Kids say ( 10 ):

Ghost Ship has virtually no redeeming qualities. The plot is tired and poorly developed, the character development is sparse, and the gory scenes (including one that features a cable slicing 40-50 couples across a dance floor) do not even appear that scary. There is absolutely no reason to watch this movie unless you have a hankering for seeing people get sliced, diced, dismembered, and shot. Definitely NOT for kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the ideas of greed and honor depicted in this movie. At what point does the crew's greed become problematic? Why does Epps refuse to leave behind her crewmates and defend Murphy even after he attacked her? Families may want to discuss the filmmaker's decision to cast a woman in a role that is traditionally assigned to men.

Movie Details

  • In theaters : October 22, 2002
  • On DVD or streaming : March 28, 2003
  • Cast : Gabriel Byrne , Isaiah Washington , Julianna Margulies
  • Director : Steve Beck
  • Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
  • Studio : Warner Bros.
  • Genre : Horror
  • Run time : 91 minutes
  • MPAA rating : R
  • MPAA explanation : strong violence/gore, language, and sexuality
  • Last updated : August 20, 2020

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Ghost Ship Poster Image

What to Watch Next

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate