The movie classifications (a.k.a ratings) with the “A” attached to them are often misunderstood by movie-goers. Of the six classification categories in British Columbia, two of them require Adult Accompaniment (14A and 18A).
For films rated as “14A” and “18A”, persons under the age of 14 and 18 may only attend when accompanied by an adult. An adult is considered to be someone 18 years of age or over. It’s important to know that theatres cannot waive the adult accompaniment requirement which means that the adult must watch the movie with the underage viewer. A parent’s permission is not enough under the law.
Under the Motion Picture Act, theatres in BC are required to follow and enforce all age restrictions. We have a rack card that is available in BC theatres to explain Adult Accompaniment to anyone who has questions.
Visit the “What do the ratings mean?” section on our website for more information about all of the film classifications in BC and what kind of content they may include.
You can find more information about the law by reviewing the Motion Picture Act and the Motion Picture Act Regulations. If you have any other questions, please leave your question in the comment section below!
ADDITIONAL READING:
Movie ratings: G, PG, 14A, 18A, what do they all mean?
History of motion picture classification in BC
Adult accompaniment – it’s the law
Movie ratings & advisories – know before you go
Curious about video game ratings?
What is the biggest difference between 18A and R? I know they are both adult ratings except 18A is seen as more mainstream and publicly open, but R is seen as more limited and more hardcore with a few mainstream exceptions. Does the Canadian society think they should have 2 or 1?
Hi there, 18A and R are different. 14A may contain violence, coarse language or sexually suggestive scenes, or any combination of them. Suitable for viewers 14 years of age or older. Viewers under 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Whereas R will contain horror, explicit violence, frequent coarse language or scenes that are more sexually suggestive than in the 14A category, or any combination of them. Suitable for viewers 18 years of age or older. Viewers under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. We have all ratings listed on this page of our website here.
You’re just saying the ratings’ definitions so you didn’t properly answer my question.
I do get how 14A and 18A works. But I mean do 2 adult ratings benefit the public? Has there been any complaints for overly lenient decisions like Last Night in Soho being a PG in BC but 18 in UK where I live, etc.? Is 18A and R similar to some degree?
18A and R are not similar and to clarify, the primary difference between the 18 Accompaniment (18A) and Restricted (R) classification is that a film classified as 18A is not considered an “adult motion picture” as defined in Section 1 of the Motion Picture Act. A movie-goer under the age of 18 is not permitted entry into a Restricted screening at any time whereas a minor may attend an 18A screening so long as they are accompanied by someone age 18 and above. Films classified as Restricted are “adult motion pictures” and may contain explicit sex scenes and/or elements outlined in Section 5(3) of the Motion Picture Act. In terms of the different ratings for a particular movie in the UK and here in BC, Canada, I am not able to provide any information as we are each regulated by different legislation.
I have read through the law. Makes sense. Although I do view them as similar, I understand that R is more limited and more adult than 18A. It seems that 18A is more welcoming even though accompanying children to 18A screenings would be wrong.
Has there been any incidents where parents complained about taking children into 18A?
Has their been talks of an age limit of somewhere like 10 or 14 for 18A? I noticed that in the Maritimes and Manitoba, only viewers between 14-17 must be accompanied by an adult for an 18A screening.
Can R-rated films be publicly shown in public cinemas or are they shown limited due to their extreme nature?
You had a few questions in the last comment so I will address each one separately.
Q: Has there been any incidents where parents complained about taking children into 18A?
A: As I previously shared with you, we have aggregated data of our motion picture industry inquiries/complaints for the last three years on our website but we do not have an easy access to more detailed breakdown of inquiries/complaints. However, you can make a Freedom of Information request outlining the information you are looking for. We have information on how to do this on our website here.
Q: Has their been talks of an age limit of somewhere like 10 or 14 for 18A? I noticed that in the Maritimes and Manitoba, only viewers between 14-17 must be accompanied by an adult for an 18A screening.
A: Consumer Protection BC has been delegated the responsibility to administer the Motion Picture Act. Any potential changes to the Motion Picture Act or Motion Picture Act Regulations must take place at the legislative level and we have not been made aware of any modifications or potential changes at this time.
Q: Can R-rated films be publicly shown in public cinemas or are they shown limited due to their extreme nature?
A: To publicly exhibit a Restricted motion picture, the theatre must apply for adult/restricted screens. More information on how a theatre is licensed can be found on our Get and Keep Your License page here.
I hope this clears up things for you!