Case studies
Welcome to the BBFC case studies. Written by BBFC staff, our case studies explore why a film has a particular age rating, if it was cut, or even banned.
Please note that all our case studies and files are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,) without prior written permission from the BBFC. You should email us if you wish to reproduce any of these materials.
We provide case studies for all films we introduce as part of our longstanding relationship with IntoFilm. We no longer classify video games but there are some video games case studies which offer a historical view of how we classified some well-known video games.
If you are researching a specific title and would like access to the BBFC's paper file archive this may be possible depending on the age of the work. If you would like to arrange a visit to our archives then please get in touch with us via email.
Why did we give No Time to Die (2021) a 12A age rating?
Find out more about No Time To Die's classification, and what elements of the film determined its 12A age rating.
Why did we give Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) a 12A age rating?
We explore the significance of the 12A age rating for Guardians of the Galaxy, the 10th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Coraline
While adults might pay for a cinema ticket to endure strong, bloody, gory horror of films such as Saw and Hostel, they aren’t the only audience for horror at the cinema.
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Netflix's adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's novel received a 15 rating for its sexual content, which is explored in this case study.
Basketball Or Nothing
Material relating to drugs will be innocuous, discreet, or have a clear aversive message at the junior categories. Read about our PG classification for Netflix's Basketball Or Nothing series.
The Suicide Squad
Violence is often a category-defining issue in the superhero genre. While bloody violence features heavily in The Suicide Squad, the film's dark comic tone proved crucial to its 15 classification.
