Why is “On Swift Horses” rated R? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “sexual content, nudity and some language.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes several sex scenes between a man and a woman, between two men, and between two women, with partial nudity, several implied sex scenes between two men, and between two women, several kissing scenes, several scenes of people being beaten and being threatened with a knife and one man being shot in the shoulder, several arguments, discussions of suicide, discussion of happiness and secrets, and at least 13 F-words and other strong language. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.

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Set shortly after the Korean War, the difficult relationship between brothers (Jacob Elordi and Will Poulter), both vets that have returned home trying to find contentment, becomes more complicated as infidelity and gambling interfere. Also with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Diego Calva and Sasha Calle. Directed by Daniel Minahan. [Running Time: 1:59]

On Swift Horses SEX/NUDITY 8

 – A man and a woman have sex and we see him thrusting on top of her while they both moan and climax (we see her bare breasts and his bare buttocks, partial chest and back). A man goes into another man’s room, kisses him, pushes him back on a bed, unfastens his belt and thrusts on top of him as they continue to kiss. A man straddles another man on a bed in a motel room and reaches into his underwear as they kiss and have sex. Two men standing against a mirror have sex: one man thrusts from behind as they kiss. A woman goes to another woman’s house and she and another women tease her for seeming a little drunk; one woman touches another woman and they kiss, and they go outside where one woman lifts the other woman’s skirt and performs oral sex on her (we hear her moaning). A man and a woman wearing swimsuits at a beach lean against a rock formation and the man thrusts as she moans (we see his bare back and buttocks).
► Two men wearing jockey-type underwear lie in separate beds in a motel room (sex is implied) and talk (we see bare chest, abdomens, backs, and genital bulges). Two men lie on a floor talking (sex is implied) and one man is nude (we see his bare back and buttocks and legs), the other man is partially covered with a sheet (we see his bare chest, abdomen and hip). Two women wearing bras and girdles (we see their cleavage, bare abdomens, legs and backs) dance and laugh (sex is implied).
► Two women lie in bed nude (we see their bare breasts, buttocks and backs) and they kiss and moan. A shirtless man lies in a bed as a woman sits on the edge of the bed getting dressed (we see her bare back, bra, underwear and garter belts) and leaves money on the bedside table. A man and a woman kiss in several scenes. A woman kisses another woman’s hand and they look at each other with romantic interest. A woman in a bar touches another woman’s clothed thigh and they nearly kiss but are interrupted by a police raid. A man leans toward a woman in a dream and they kiss.
► A man looks at another man and seems flirtatious. Two women seem to be flirting in several scenes. A man asks another man if he is looking for company (please see the Violence/Gore category for more details). A woman goes to a hotel bar that has been referred to as a “queer bar” and we see several men dancing together and embracing. A man and a woman dance together and embrace. A man asks a woman to marry him a couple of times and she accepts. A song contains lyrics about a lost love. A husband becomes suspicious when he sees his wife coming out of a woman’s house and touching her arm.
► A shirtless man lies on the hood of a car and we see his bare chest and abdomen. A woman wearing a robe answers her door to a man that enters and they talk. A woman wears a low-cut dress that reveals cleavage in a few scenes. A casino dancer is seen wearing a costume that reveals cleavage, bare shoulders and legs. Women wear low-cut dresses in a bar.

On Swift Horses VIOLENCE/GORE 5

 – Two men are beaten and kicked repeatedly after having been caught cheating in a casino. A man walks through a dark alley and is confronted by another man that seems to be asking him for sex, he pushes him against a wall and reaches into his pants, but then steals money from his pocket, holds a knife to him and punches him in the abdomen (the attacked man has bruises on his face and chin later). A man goes with another man to a dark area where several other men beat him up and take his money; they hold him in a chokehold and kick him and he shoots one man in the shoulder (we see the bloody bullet wound). A man becomes upset when he realizes that another man stole his money and left him; he runs through streets to a casino searching for him and finds him being beaten by two other men (we see his face swollen and bloody) and one man kicks the man searching in the groin. Two women argue while dancing together when it is apparent that one is more serious about their relationship than the other is.
► A man walks away from a table where he has won money playing cards; other men at the table seem upset. A man asks two men at a casino about employment and they describe a surveillance job watching from above the casino floor for people cheating. A woman hides money from her husband after winning at a racetrack. A man wears a gun on his belt and says, “If we want something, we gotta take it.” Two men make plans to cheat at cards and win a lot of money. Two men drink liquor at a party and we see an explosion in the desert in the distance (like a mushroom cloud); a waft of dust blows across the area.
► A man on a TV show fires a gun. A horse runs away and a man chases and yells at it. A man rides a horse on a long desert highway. A man stumbles and collapses into another man’s arms overcome by the heat. A man has a scar on his arm. A woman eats an olive and reluctantly spits the pit into another woman’s hand.
► A woman says, “The Russian dog that they shot into space died.” A man describes his military service and being surrounded by Chinese boys everywhere; he talks about a truck being in flames and another man saving his platoon mates and refers to him as being a hero. Two men argue about a plan that they had made for their future. A remark is made about serving in the Korea War and seeing people having their “brains blown out of the back of their heads.” Men talk about another man committing suicide by taking pills after having been discovered to be gay and reports of his “lude behavior.” A man talks about having been discharged from the army and another says that he is being sent back to Korea. Two men talk about their different perspectives on life and the pursuit of happiness in a few scenes. A man describes a woman as “a sad girl that needs someone to tell her what to do.” A man says that his mother died when he was small. A woman asks for people to sign her petition to stop the city from building a highway through her family’s land and sites eminent domain.

On Swift Horses LANGUAGE 6

 – About 13 F-words, 6 scatological terms, 5 anatomical terms, 6 mild obscenities, 4 derogatory terms for gay people, 1 derogatory term for Mexican people, name-calling (liar, crazy, hellfire, dumb, thief, cheaters, monster, pretty boys, normal), exclamations (oh my gosh), 5 religious profanities (GD), 4 religious exclamations (e.g. Jesus, God, Jesus Christ). | profanity glossary |

On Swift Horses SUBSTANCE USE

 – Two men drink beer from bottles and we see a bottle of whiskey on a table, two men drink and smoke cigarettes with a meal, people drink liquor and beer and smoke at a bar and casino, people drink cocktails and liquor in a bar, and two women drink in a bar. A woman smokes a cigarette in a bathroom and she throws a cigarette to a man outside and he also smokes, people smoke cigarettes on a stairwell outside a casino, several people smoke cigarettes in several scenes throughout the movie, a man smokes a cigar, and a man smokes in bed in several scenes.

On Swift Horses DISCUSSION TOPICS

 – Siblings, love, gambling, pursuing happiness, making plans, the Korean War, secrets, eminent domain, suicide, disgrace, family, death of a parent.

On Swift Horses MESSAGE

 – Everyone deserves a chance to be happy.