Today’s the first public holiday since Aug, and some Singaporeans might be itching to relax and do stuff they haven’t done for a while – like catch a movie.
‘Eternals’ has thus been released at just the right time, and like most Marvel blockbusters, will probably see hordes returning to the cinemas.
However, not as many people might be able to see the show this time, as those under 18 will have to wait.
That’s because it’s been rated M18 in Singapore due to the depiction of a same-gender family unit.
The latest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) came out on Thursday (4 Nov), with sneak previews the day before.
Unsurprisingly, some movie-goers rushed to buy advance tickets days before that, but they had to wait as tickets weren’t released for sale even by 1 Nov.
When an anxious patron asked cinema operator Golden Village (GV) about it on their Facebook page, they replied that they were still waiting to confirm the rating.
GV’s Mr Popcorn even cheekily added, “ask IMDA!”
They were referring to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which rates movies in Singapore.
On Wednesday (3 Nov), the rating was finally confirmed, and disappointingly for the young ones, it was M18.
Though the movie was passed clean without cuts, only adults 18 and above would be able to watch it in cinemas.
IMDA advised consumers that there’ll be “some mature content” on screen.
In a more detailed write-up, IMDA explained what exactly the mature content was.
It turns out the show contains “some homosexual references and depictions”, including a “same-gender family unit” with a child.
Marvel fans may already know that the character of Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry, is the MCU’s 1st gay superhero.
In the movie, he’s also shown having a husband (Haaz Sleiman) and a son.
IMDA also referred to another scene where Phastos and his husband embrace and kiss before he leaves to save the world, adding that this also led to the M18 rating.
This would be more appropriate under the M18 Classification Guidelines which allow “non-explicit depictions of mild sexual activity or acts of intimacy (e.g. kissing and hugging) between persons of the same gender”.
The M18 rating is the 1st one given to an MCU move in Singapore, according to 8 Days.
The previous 25 MCU movies here had either a PG or PG13 rating.
Perhaps caught off-guard by the high rating, at least 1 customer had to ask GV for a refund after mistakenly buying a ticket for their son, who was too young.
In other countries around the world, ‘Eternals’ is usually given a rating of 11-13 years of age, according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
In the Philippines, it’s rated PG. In India, it’s UA (unrestricted public exhibition subject to parental guidance for children below 12).
The only other country besides Singapore with an 18+ rating for the movie is Russia, which has an anti-gay propaganda law.
Those under 18 in Singapore might be disappointed that they won’t be able to catch the latest MCU movie in cinemas.
At least it’s not the only blockbuster to draw attention in Singapore for “mature content” – in 2017, ‘Beauty And The Beast’ was slammed by the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) for a “gay moment”.
Hopefully, those who will miss out will be able to watch the show when they’re older.
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Featured image adapted from Marvel on Facebook.
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