What is the difference between a 15 and a 18 certificate?

What is a 15 certificate?
No-one under 15 is allowed to watch a film or buy/rent a 15 certificate film. This is because the film is considered unsuitable.

A 15 certificate contains:

• Strong violence
• frequent strong language
• portrayals of sexual activity  
• strong verbal references to sex
• sexual nudity
• brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references
• discriminatory language or behavior (e.g racism or homophobic)
• drug taking.

What is a 18 certificate?
Films rated 18 are for adults only. No-one under 18 is allowed to watch a film or buy/rent a 18 certificate film. This is because the film is considered unsuitable.

A 18 certificate contains:

• very strong violence
• frequent strong language and very strong language 
• strong portrayals of sexual activity 
• strong verbal references to sex
• strong horror
• strong blood or gore
• real sex (in some circumstances)
• discriminatory language or behavior (e.g racism or homophobic)
• drug taking.