Joker offered a very different take on the Clown Prince of Crime, and director Todd Phillips made good use of that R-Rating. There were plenty of dark themes in his DC Comics adaptation, not to mention extreme violence (when Joker shoots Franklin Murray in the head, for example).
In the UK, Joker was given a 15 rating which means it's deemed suitable for viewers of 15 and over. Now, a report from the British Board of Film Classification has revealed that the movie ended up being the most complained about release of 2019 in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
"Several stated that we should have classified the film 18 because of violence and the film’s tone," the report reads. "A small number felt that the film should be banned. There are scenes of strong violence in the film that include stabbings and shootings, with accompanying bloody injury detail. They do not, however, dwell on the infliction of pain or injury in a manner that requires an 18."
Honestly, thinking that Joker should have been banned for its content is beyond ridiculous, so those people were clearly quite sensitive. An argument could definitely be made that it needed an 18 rating as the violence and language weren't necessarily what many parents would anticipate seeing in a 15 (that 18 classification is rarely seen these days, however).
Why is 18 rarely used? Well, it massively reduces the chances of a film's success at the box office, and that's something it seems the BBFC has been taking into account in recent years.
What do you guys think?