BSC Upholds Complaints Against Natural Born Killers

The Broadcasting Standards Commission has upheld eleven viewer complaints regarding Channel 5’s screening of Natural Born Killers.

Despite warnings shown before the film, which was shown after the watershed, the BSC believed that the film was “incoherent and basic decencies, including the use of language, had been disregarded.” It went on to say that it was concerned by the violence, which it regarded as “graphic and sustained, verging on the mindless.”

Channel 5, in its defence, said that the version of the film it had shown was the American video version which actually contained more edits than the UK video classification. The broadcaster also said that the film was an impassioned argument over the nature of violence in American society and the characters portrayed were not seen as role models but rather as victims of child abuse who received brutal prison sentences.

BSC: 0171 233 0544