Wonka
NZ release: 14 December 2023
Parental guidance recommended for younger viewers Rated on: 14 December 2023
What’s it about?
With dreams of opening a candy shop in a city renowned for it's variety of delicious sweets, the young and ambitious Willy Wonka is on the verge of changing the world with his magical chocolate. However, a group of greedy candymakers plots to stop him at all costs.
The facts
- Directed by Paul King (Paddington, Paddington 2)
- English language
- Runtime: 116 minutes
- Starring Timothée Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, and Keegan-Michael Key
- An origin story of the famous chocolatier Willy Wonka from book and film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Why did it get this rating?
This film was rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. Parental guidance is recommended for younger viewers.
Violence
The film contains mild violence, which is mostly comedic.
An Oompa Loompa smacks Willy Wonka on the head with a small frying pan. There is a riot in a candy store where characters are seen smashing and setting things on fire. A character is seen dunking a man's head repeatedly in freezing water. In one scene two characters are trapped in a rising vat of liquid chocolate with no way to escape their situation. Some younger viewers may find this scary but the characters are ultimately saved before they drown.
Characters are not seriously harmed in the film and the violence is portrayed in a comedic way, making it less impactful.
Cruelty
There are a few scenes where cruelty is shown from people in positions of power.
A business owner keeps people as slaves in a basement laundry, forcing them to work to pay off an impossible debt. A young character is kicked by their cruel guardian and put in a pigeon coup for punishment. They don’t appear to be hurt and although no injuries are shown, it can be upsetting for younger audiences.
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