The Steven Spielberg Films So Dark They Changed The Way Movies Are Rated

Steven Spielberg’s influence on Hollywood filmmaking is widely acknowledged, but the lesser-known story of his role in changing movie ratings may be one of his most significant legacies. While the filmmaker has a reputation for delivering childlike wonder, some of Steven Spielberg’s best movies are charged with a counterbalancing darkness. The director brilliantly understands that childhood can be as packed with fear as it is with whimsy. Contemporary children’s films seem to be somewhat reluctant to scare their audience, but two 1984 Spielberg movies proved scary enough to change cinema forever.