10 Movies We Probably Shouldn't Have Been Allowed To Watch When We Were Kids

Watching movies was one of the best ways to kill time as a kid. There were so many to choose from and now that we had extensive VHS collections we could rewatch them as much as we wanted!

The problem was that a lot of the movies we watched probably weren't the best thing for kids our age to watch. The ratings back when we were young were a little bit different than they are now. There was no PG-13 so everything was either PG or R. A lot of movies that didn't really need to be completely restricted still shouldn't have been watched by young kids, but obviously that didn't stop us!

How many of these movies do you remember watching when you were a kid?

Gremlins

Gremlins was tricky because while the monsters looked like they might just be cute little Muppets, they were actually murderous monsters. It honestly scarred a lot of children who didn't really understand what they were getting into.

Jaws

You would think that one of the most iconic horror movies would have been rated higher than PG, but apparently it's perfectly suitable as long as you have parental guidance.

Airplane!

This one isn't bad because of violence, but there are a lot of jokes that are targeted to a much more adult audience. Luckily none of us understood the jokes anyways!

Garbage Pail Kids

These were the anti-Cabbage Patch Kids, but they were just awful to look at. Obviously our parents should have noticed that they weren't the same as the cute dolls we all loved, but instead so many of us watched this mess in absolute horror.

Poltergeist

This one is interesting because the creators of the movie apparently begged the MPAA to give it a PG rating instead of R because they wanted more people to see it. But seriously, the maggots... enough said.

There are even more movies that you know you used to watch...

Arthur

There is a lot of adult humor that wouldn't be able to get categorized as PG these days. It also is basically entirely focused on his bad drinking habits which really isn't a kid-friendly topic.

Beetlejuice

This is one that is a bit tricky. We obviously all watched it as kids and absolutely loved it. Not to mention the fact that they made a cartoon version that was totally excellent! But, the thing is, the actual movie has a few moments that might be disturbing for a kid. However, it all ends with a catchy tune so I guess it's fine right?

Raiders of the Lost Ark

There are dismembered Nazis, gunshot wounds to the head and that melting face, but apparently it's perfectly okay for your young kids to watch!

Ghostbusters

As fun as this movie is, it's also a little bit much for some kids. The ghosts are one thing, but really it's all the sexual references that take it over the top.

Sixteen Candles

John Hughes movies often deal with teenage issues, but really those aren't appropriate for young kids. They don't need to know about how all the post-pubescent angst that goes on. There is also a fair amount of racism in this movie that probably shouldn't be made readily available to younger kids.

Which of these movies do you think needs a higher rating?