Past Lives (2023) is a PG-13 romantic drama best for ages 13 and up for language and adult relationship themes. It has no physical violence, no scary scenes, brief strong language, and no explicit sexual content. Past Lives is a quiet, dialogue-driven story about Nora and Hae Sung, childhood friends from Korea who reunite as adults in New York. The main concern for parents is emotional maturity, not graphic content, since the film centers on marriage, longing, and choices about love.
Table of Contents
- Why is it rated PG-13?
- Is there violence or danger?
- What language should parents expect?
- What about sex and romantic content?
- Are there scary or upsetting scenes?
Why is it rated PG-13?
The rating reflects occasional strong language and mature romantic themes rather than action, nudity, or horror. The story is told through long conversations in homes, bars, parks, and city streets.
Teens who handle reflective dramas will find little to surprise them. Younger children will likely find the slow pace and adult emotions boring rather than upsetting.
Is there violence or danger?
There is no physical fighting, weapons, injury, blood, or crime. Characters disagree and feel hurt, but conflict stays verbal and restrained.
There are no chases, accidents, or threatening moments. Parents do not need to worry about startling images or imitable dangerous behavior.
What language should parents expect?
The dialogue includes a handful of strong profanities, including the f-word, plus milder swearing. The language appears in adult conversations, not in anger toward children and not as constant background swearing.
Families who avoid strong language may want to preview or watch with subtitles to judge frequency. For most teens, the words match what they hear in high-school dramas.
- Main issue: brief f-words in otherwise calm dialogue
- Less concern: no slurs, no sexual insults, no bullying language
- Good fit: teens used to PG-13 dramas
- Poor fit: children sensitive to any profanity
What about sex and romantic content?
There are no sex scenes, no nudity, and no graphic descriptions of sex. Nora is married to another man and meets Hae Sung with affection, and the tension is emotional rather than physical.
The film shows kissing, longing looks, and honest talk about attraction, past love, and what marriage means. Parents may want to discuss emotional infidelity with teens, since the characters consider what life might have been like together.
Are there scary or upsetting scenes?
There are no monsters, jump scares, gore, or supernatural threats. The mood stays gentle and sad rather than frightening.
The heaviest moments involve crying, separation, immigration, and regret about leaving family and home. A teen affected by stories about moving, cultural loss, or marital strain may need a short talk afterward.
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