Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, language, drugs in generic teen horror sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Urban Legends: Bloody Mary
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In URBAN LEGENDS: BLOODY MARY, high school student Samantha (Kate Mara) and two friends dare each other to chant "Bloody Mary" three times during a sleepover. Little do they know they've unleashed a vengeful spirit (Lillith Fields) from decades before, who's looking to get revenge on the high school boys who caused her death during a prank gone wrong.
Is It Any Good?
This feels like an example of a sequel looking to cash in on the name of its predecessors, but the story here is barely connected to the original film. Urban Legends: Bloody Mary concentrates on one particular urban legend—that chanting "Bloody Mary" three times will unleash a vengeful spirit. The "murderer" here then is a supernatural force, rather than the more postmodern approach taken by the previous two films, where a human killer took inspiration from specific stories. So, instead of feeling like a smart Scream-style slasher—which is where this series had the potential to go—this is a hotchpotch of different influences, stretching as far as Japanese ghost story The Ring. While Mara does a great job with very little in the lead role, the clunky script and stereotypical teen girls having pillow fights makes this pretty hard to enjoy. There are some jump scares and had any one concept been properly followed through it may have had more impact. But as it stands, this is probably best avoided by anyone other than a die-hard genre fan who's willing to let a lot slide for the sake of a few frights.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Urban Legends: Bloody Mary. Do you think it was the right level or was there too much? What are some of the moments that stood out as particularly scary or gory for you? Would the movie be as impactful without the violence?
Why do you think so many people enjoy scary movies? What is the appeal of horror movies? Did you find this movie scary? Why, or why not?
How does this movie fare as a horror sequel? How much does it have in common with the earlier movies in the franchise? What do you think of horror sequels more generally? Are there any franchises where you think the sequels are just as good as, or even better than, the original?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. What did it contribute to the movie? Is a certain kind of language expected in a film like this?
Are drinking, smoking, or drug use glamorized here? Are there realistic consequences for their use? Why does that matter?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : July 19, 2005
- Cast : Kate Mara , Robert Vito , Tina Lifford
- Director : Mary Lambert
- Studio : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy ( Ghosts )
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violence and gore, drug use and some language
- Last updated : September 29, 2026
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
Suggest an Update
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