Drag Me to Hell parents guide

Drag Me to Hell Parent Guide

Three days (in movie time) of loud, eerie noises, animal sacrifice, and gross out scenes that will trigger the gag reflex.

Overall C-

One should consider carefully before throwing an innocent, little old lady out of her own home --not just because it isn't a kind thing to do, but also because not all little old ladies are that innocent! Christine (Alison Lohan), a loan officer learns just that when she evicts an impoverished elderly woman (Lorna Raver) who retaliates by cursing her with supernatural forces intent on dragging her soul to hell.

Release date May 29, 2009

Violence C-
Sexual Content B
Profanity C+
Substance Use B

Why is Drag Me to Hell rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Drag Me to Hell PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images and language.

Run Time: 99 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Today was one of those splendid spring days that are all too rare in our northern climate. The sun was shining. The sky was blue. And there was actually a hint of warmth in the air. Given all that, I was less than impressed when I ended up with the lucky ticket to spend the best time of the day inside a dark movie theater being dragged through nearly two hours of screeching violins and a slobbering old woman with an oral fixation.

Do I sound a little bitter about my unfortunate draw at the office?

It’s not because I don’t like scary movies. Like roller coasters and whitewater rafting, horror flicks can give audiences a huge adrenaline rush in a comparatively safe environment. But to do that requires more than a bunch of clanging pots and pans, unexplained wind gusts and ominous shadows. To buy into the tension, viewers need to at least care about the poor creature at the center of all the terror.

But, considering the banking industry’s recent negative press in the economic meltdown, a loan officer doesn’t inspire immediate empathy. Nevertheless, that’s what Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is. Although she is a pleasant young lady, she’s under a lot of pressure at the moment. In addition to overhearing some coldhearted comments about her weight and upbringing, Christine is one of two candidates on the short list for the assistant manager’s job at the bank. However, her boss (David Paymer) and coworker (Reggie Lee) appear to be doing everything in their power to remind her she’s a girl in the old boys’ club of finances.

As a result, when an ill, aging immigrant (Lorna Raver) asks for an extension on her mortgage, Christine decides to play tough. She refuses to grant clemency and calls security when the old woman falls to her knees to plead for mercy. As Mrs. Ganush is being escorted from the office, she beseeches an unseen power and calls down an ancient curse on the girl that even a psychic (Dileep Rao) and a medium (Adriana Barraza) have trouble breaking.

What follows is three days (in movie time) of loud, eerie noises, animal sacrifices and gross out scenes that will trigger the gag reflex in anyone who isn’t fond of seeing countless objects (arms, maggots, saliva, embalming fluid or a housefly) either jabbed into or disgorged out of a character’s mouth. While all this transmits into plenty of jump scenes as Christine claws her way out of an open grave and fights off the advances of a toothless assailant who repeatedly gnaws on her chin, she frequently sports a vacant stare that left me wondering if she doesn’t understand the severity of her situation or she is just scared spitless. Her boyfriend (Justin Long), a nice enough guy despite his stereotypical rich, snobbish parents (Chelcie Ross, Molly Creek), doesn’t grasp where Christine is headed either.

Meanwhile, cursed with an unwanted assignment, I was just wishing for a little heat in a cold theater—preferably from the sun rather than that other place.

Starring Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Sam Raimi. Running time: 99 minutes. Theatrical release May 29, 2009. Updated

Drag Me to Hell
Rating & Content Info

Why is Drag Me to Hell rated PG-13? Drag Me to Hell is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images and language.

Stocked with all the ingredients of a horror film, this film contains darting shadows, flapping curtains, clanging pots and the sound of heavy footsteps scraping along an upstairs floor. The soundtrack also includes screeching violins and enough sound effects to keep a whole department of employees busy. Characters are attacked, thrown over a balcony, nearly drowned, stapled in the forehead, thrown around a room and choked. An anvil falls on a woman. Characters take part in a séance. A girl is involved in a car crash. A character kills an animal with a kitchen knife. A dead body of an animal is seen. A fly crawls into a character’s nose and mouth. A character spits out maggots. Blood shoots out of a character’s nose. Characters drink in their home. A couple kisses. Infrequent profanities and vulgarities are used in the script.

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Drag Me to Hell Parents' Guide

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Home Video

The most recent home video release of Drag Me to Hell movie is October 13, 2009. Here are some details…

Release Date: 13 October 2009

Drag Me To Hell on DVD includes both the Rated and Unrated version of the film. Presented in widescreen, the disc offers audio track in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English) Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English) and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (French and Spanish). Subtitles are available in English SDH, French and Spanish. Bonus materials include:

- Production Video Diaries

Drag Me To Hell on Blu-ray also includes both the Rated and Unrated version of the film. Presented in widescreen, audio tracks are offered in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English) and DTS 5.1 Surround (French and Spanish). Subtitles are available in English SDH, French and Spanish. Bonus materials include:

- Production Video Diaries

- BD Live - My Scenes Sharing, Video Rotation, On-Screen Ticker.

- Digital Copy of Drag Me to Hell - Unrated Director’s Cut

Related home video titles:

Actress Alison Lohman has also starred in the compelling story Things We Lost in the Fire, the exaggerated tale Big Fish and the family friendly horse adventure Flicka. A Latvian gypsy puts a curse on the male members of a family that haunts them for generations in Holes.