What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that, like most slasher flicks aimed at high schoolers, Detention is a crudely violent film with crass language and sex talk, including a couple of scenes with partial nudity. There's loads of the blood, gore, and at times comic violence expected from this genre, but there's also one scene of a girl trying to hang herself that might upset parents and disturb any teen who's ever dealt with suicidal thoughts or the suicide of a loved one. The language includes the usual suspects of "f--k," "s--t," "bitch," and other insults. There are lots of references to sex (including virginity, promiscuity, bodily fluids, etc.) and two quick glimpses of breasts and one of teens having sex in bed. Underage characters also drink, sometimes to the point of extreme drunkenness. Although there aren't many role models in the story, the movie does make audiences think about all of the stereotypes in popular teen horror films.
- Families can talk about the self referential way that Detention makes audiences think about slasher flick stereotypes. How do all the mentions of movies like Scream and other teen films highlight the formulaic nature of the high-school horror genre?
- Is the violence in Detention actually scary? Why are so many horror films based in high school? Were the death scenes frightening? How does humor impact the movie's violence?
- How is teen drinking depicted? Which characters got drunk, and how did drinking affect their actions and behavior? What are the real-life consequences of underage drinking?
- The movie pokes fun at the constant use of technology by teens -- particularly texting. Does the movie make texting look useful, or is it also depicted as ridiculous?