Back to the Future
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100Recommended
- 60–79Watch with care
- 35–59Think it throughThis film
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100Recommended
- 60–79Watch with care
- 35–59Think it throughThis film
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
Worldview score
What the story celebrates or condemns.
Why +1 for this film
The film celebrates courage, self-respect, friendship and standing up for the vulnerable, and it shows bullying and Biff's predatory behaviour being defeated. Its happy ending, however, leans on material success, and the story shrugs off lying and the ethics of tampering with the past.
- +2Affirms faithPresents faith in God positively and as true
- +1Positive valuesThis filmHonesty, sacrifice and family win out
- 0Mixed or neutralNo clear stance
- −1AmbivalentShows sin without judging it either way
- −2Glamorises sinMakes sin look attractive and rewarding
Age guide
How suitable this film is for each age group.
Why 10+ for this film
Frequent casual use of God's and Jesus' names, regular mild-to-moderate swearing, a gun killing, and a menacing attempted sexual assault (implied, not shown).
- Under 8Wait
- Ages 8–12With a parent
- Ages 13–15Yes
- Ages 16–17Yes
- AdultsYes
A witty, warm-hearted time-travel adventure about courage and family, with frequent casual blasphemy and swearing and one menacing scene of attempted assault. Best enjoyed together with older children.
Watch guide
What's in it?
LanguageModerate, no f-words
Regular mild-to-moderate swearing: around 14 damns, 8 hells, 5 bastards, 4 uses of a stronger s-word, three 'son of a bitch' and a few uses of 'ass'. Most come from Marty and Biff, often in moments of panic or anger.
Blasphemy~23 exclamations
God's and Jesus' names are used as exclamations of shock or surprise throughout, by Marty, Doc and others, including two 'God damn it's. None are mocking, but they are frequent.
Sex and nudityInnuendo, implied threat
The teenage Lorraine is infatuated with Marty, not knowing he is her son. She undresses him to his underwear while he is unconscious and later kisses him in a parked car, which she finds wrong. Biff gropes and pressures Lorraine twice, and the second time he attempts an assault in a car, which is implied rather than shown and is stopped by George. There is some innuendo, and George is called a peeping tom.
RelationshipsTeen dating, deception
Marty plans a lakeside overnight trip with his girlfriend and lies to his mother about it. The comic premise rests on his mother's crush on him. George and Lorraine's love story is warm and ends in a lasting marriage.
ViolenceShooting, fistfights
Terrorists gun down Doc with an automatic weapon in front of Marty. It is not gory. There are also a farmer firing a shotgun, a car chase and crash, Biff bullying and twisting George's arm, Marty being shut in a car boot, and George knocking Biff out with one punch.
Frightening scenesTense, some peril
Doc's apparent death may frighten young children. There are also Marty's fading from existence, Lorraine's distress in the car, and a ticking-clock climax.
Drugs and alcoholTeen drinking, smoking
Teenage Lorraine drinks stolen liquor and smokes in the car, and Marty disapproves. Biff is drunk at the dance and has spilled beer earlier, and adult beer appears at home. There is one passing remark about reefer addicts.
AttitudesLies, bullying, slurs
Bullying is shown as wrong and is finally overturned. However, Doc stole plutonium from terrorists, Marty lies and manipulates to fix the timeline, and racial slurs are traded during one scuffle. The film measures success partly in money and status.
OccultNone
There is no occult content. The time travel is science-fiction invention, and talk of 'destiny' is played for comedy rather than as spirituality.
- To knowContent to know about
- Skip for kidsSkip for younger viewers
- DiscussWorth discussing
- 0:29
Gun violence
Armed terrorists arrive at the mall car park and gun down Doc in front of Marty, who then flees in the time machine.
- 0:43
Comic romantic premise
Teenage Lorraine has undressed the unconscious Marty to his underwear and begins to show a crush on him, not knowing he is her son.
- 1:00
Sexual harassment
Biff grabs Lorraine in the café and pressures her with crude remarks until George, then Marty, intervenes.
- 1:13
Deception
Marty coaches George through a staged rescue, an act built on deception, and urges him to swear.
- 1:18
Underage drinking
In a parked car Lorraine drinks stolen liquor, smokes and kisses Marty, then says it feels wrong; Marty tries to discourage her drinking.
- 1:20
Attempted sexual assaultSkip if under 12
A drunken Biff forces Lorraine to stay in the car and attempts to assault her; it is implied rather than shown, and racial slurs are traded outside as Marty is shut in a boot.
- 1:22
Courage
George refuses to walk away, is hurt by Biff, then knocks him out with one punch to protect Lorraine.
How to play
- 1. Draw a cardOne person reads the question out loud.
- 2. Everyone answersThere are no wrong answers. Listen before you reply.
- 3. Pass it onThe next person draws, until the deck is done.
Faith & story
What does it say?
What's it about?The plot, without the ending
Back in 1985, the teenage Marty McFly befriends Doc Brown, a quirky inventor who has turned a sports car into a time machine. An accident sends Marty thirty years into the past, where he meets his own parents as teenagers and accidentally disrupts the moment they were meant to fall in love. With the help of a younger Doc, Marty has a week to bring his shy father and his headstrong mother together and find a way to power the machine home before he fades from existence.
Through a faith lensHow it connects to the Bible
George's whole problem is fear of what others will think and fear of being rejected, and the story shows how that fear traps him for years. His turning point comes when he stops thinking about himself and steps in to protect someone being mistreated, which echoes Scripture's call to defend the weak. Marty's journey also lets him see his parents as young people with their own fears and mistakes, which can help children honour them with more understanding. The film's plot treats the past as something a clever person can rewrite, while the Bible reminds us that our times are in God's hands rather than ours. Marty and Doc rely on lies and stolen plutonium along the way, and the film rarely counts the cost, whereas Christians are called to put away falsehood. The film also measures a good life partly in cars, clothes and status, which is worth setting beside Jesus' warning that life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.
Fruit of the SpiritWhich fruit does it show?
6 out of 9 fruits ripe in this film
Ripe grapes are shown in the film, buds are missing
- Peace
- Patience
Love runs through the story, both in George and Lorraine's romance and in the friendship between Marty and Doc. There is real joy in the music at the dance and in Marty's reunion with his family. Kindness shows in Marty's efforts to help his timid father, and goodness in George finally standing up for Lorraine. Faithfulness is seen in Doc and Marty's loyalty, each risking much for the other, and self-control in Marty gently turning down Lorraine's advances and urging her not to drink. Against this, Biff embodies the works of the flesh: drunkenness at the dance, strife through constant bullying, fits of anger when he is crossed, and sensuality in his predatory pursuit of Lorraine.
The charactersExamples to follow or avoid
Marty McFlyMichael J. FoxA likeable, quick-witted teenager who fears rejection like his father; he grows by helping others, though he often lies and manipulates to fix things.
Emmett BrownChristopher LloydAn eccentric, devoted inventor and loyal friend; his recklessness, including stealing plutonium from terrorists, drives much of the danger.
George McFlyCrispin GloverA timid, bullied young man whose arc is learning to stand up for himself and for the woman he loves.
Lorraine BainesLea ThompsonStrait-laced as a mother in 1985 but rebellious as a teenager in 1955; her misplaced crush on Marty fuels the comedy.
Biff TannenThomas F. WilsonA bully and would-be abuser who exploits George and menaces Lorraine; his defeat is the film's moral turning point.
How Christians are portrayed
No Christians, churches or acts of faith appear in the film; beyond a passing joke comparing Marty's strict mother to a nun, God's name is heard only as an exclamation.
Community
What other Christians think
What did you notice?
A sex scene, shown or clearly implied?
Is this appropriate for Christians to watch?
Thinking of children? Add the youngest age you'd show it to.
Review
Helpful reviewer
The star beside a name
Given to members whose reviews 25 or more people have marked Helpful.
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Details
Film details
- In theatres
- Jul 3, 1985
- On streaming
- Oct 20, 2015
- Cast
- Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson
- Director
- Robert Zemeckis
- Studios
- Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment
- Genre
- Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction
- Run time
- 1h 56m
- Age rating
- US PG · UK PG
How we analysed this
We counted language, blasphemy and other content in the film's dialogue and read it with the plot and film details, then rated each content area against our rubric and worldview scale, using AI models calibrated on reference titles. Not yet reviewed by our team. Confidence: high.
Score = 100 − 16 × content concern (3.21) + 8 × worldview (+1) = 57
This is a guide to help families choose with wisdom, not a verdict on anyone's conscience ().
Updated 2026-10-14