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With » Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness » horror elements are definitely moving into the MCU. Like his predecessor Scott Derrickson , cult director Sam Raimi («Tanz der Teufel»), who comes from the genre, repeatedly refers to his previous work. There is an undead, there are huge monsters, there are bloody killings and also small jump scares.
But does that make “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness” a horror film? Some may deny the question directly with a reference to the age rating: PG-13 in the USA, FSK 12 in Germany — the standard for Marvel. But that’s not a valid argument, because of course horror films can also have these age ratings. That happens again and again. For example, » It Follows » is a very exciting shocker that still has an FSK 12 rating because, according to the examination board, «already 12-year-olds are able to process the film in its genre context,» and «violent and sex scenes are not played out in a voyeuristic manner.”
A film with horror elements, but not a horror film
Nevertheless , we do not classify «Doctor Strange 2″ as a horror film. Similar to how » Captain America 2 » plays with the elements of the spy film, Raimi’s Marvel adventure also uses the genre more for gimmicks than for completely immersing yourself in it.
So there are certainly creepy and bloody horror scenes, but in the end there are always resolutions that quickly pull the film out of this genre again. And of course Raimi also cuts creatively around moments that are too drastic. For example, if a character is split in two, we won’t see it. But then we see the object used for division, from which blood is slowly dripping.
Lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch comes to a similar conclusion . In an interview with Esquireme , he called «Doctor Strange 2» the «most terrifying Marvel film ever made,» but also shows that he tries to «screw down» the expectations of everyone who now wants to see a horror film: It’s not, after all » Shining » or » The Exorcism of Emily Rose «.
Can I watch Doctor Strange 2 with children
Of course, the question arises as to whether «Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness» can also be watched with children, who may be big Marvel fans. This is of course particularly relevant because the FSK-12 rating now even allows children from the age of 6 to go to the film if they are accompanied by a so-called educational officer (usually the parents).
In the end, of course, parents can only decide for themselves what their child can handle and what it is still too young for. We can only say that, in our opinion, the FSK 12 rating for «Doctor Strange 2» is already close to the limit and a release would only have been possible from the age of 16. As I said, there are creepy and gory scenes, there are moments that are deliberately designed as shock sequences.
The FILMSTARTS review of «Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness»
Above all , one should not underestimate that the multiverse approach also causes evil variants of popular characters — this can also affect children if the hero or heroine they love suddenly kills or at least tries to do so.
Incidentally, in the current edition of our podcast on the screen, we also briefly talk about whether “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness” is a horror film and how the horror elements are to be classified.
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