Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that The Guest is a thriller about a mysterious and potentially violent guest; a teen brother and sister are the main protagonists. Violence is strong but not particularly realistic -- a highly trained specialist beats up, shoots, stabs, and otherwise kills several characters. Blood sprays, and bloody wounds are shown. There's one sex scene, with a topless female shown, as well as characters in seductive states of partial undress. Language includes many uses of "f--k," "p---y," "f----t," and other terms. Teens regularly smoke pot (and drink beer in one scene), one character is a drug dealer, and the father appears to have a drinking problem. Teen horror fans will know the director, Adam Wingard, and others may be drawn in by star Dan Stevens, of Downton Abbey fame. While it's a thrill ride that's not meant to be taken seriously, it's still too edgy for all but the oldest teens.

Sexual Content

The main character has sex with a girl at a party. She removes her top and shows her breasts. A teen girl is seen in her underwear, and the main character emerges from the shower wearing only a towel, showing off his chest. A teen girl kisses her boyfriend at night. There's a drink called a "blow job shot."

Violence

A violent rampage includes stabbing, shooting, spurts of blood, bloody wounds, grenades, explosions, and car crashes. There are also a couple of fast-paced fight scenes, with a character beating others into unconsciousness in just a few seconds, sometimes pausing to break a leg or two. Some school bullies pick on a teen boy, slamming him up against a metal locker. The boy fights one of the bullies in class, punching and hitting him with a yardstick.

Language

Strong language includes multiple uses of "f--k," "p---y," "ass," "s--t," and "f----t."

Social Behavior

There's no real message here, except maybe "be careful who you let in your house."

Consumerism

Not applicable

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

The father seems to have a drinking problem; he guzzles down booze (both beer and whisky) as soon as he gets home and drinks until he goes to sleep. Teens regularly smoke pot. The main teen girl refuses to smoke at first but eventually joins in at a "kegger" party. Teens also drink beer at the party. One of the secondary characters is a drug dealer.