The British Board of Film Classification

Set up in 1912, in London, the BBFC is a non-governmental organization, funded by the film industry, to rate the films according to age guidelines in the UK. The films are classified by 2 examiners, to ensure they have enough perspective to rate the film. They look at issues such as drugs, horror, violence, language, sexual content and think about the impact of the film, from the audiences viewpoint. From my research most thrillers are categorised into 12A-15, mostly 15s, due to the nature of content a thriller deals with, it is expected to have scenes of violence, sex and drugs, as well as have mild language use throughout. Therefore we are aiming for our thriller to fall There are 7 different types of classifications a film can be put into, below is a table showing this.
Universal- All ages admitted no unsuitable content for any age.

Parental Guidance- All ages permitted, but there may be some scenes uncomfortable for younger audiences, with mild language, slight drug and sexual references.

12/12A- Ages 12 and above, but if under 12 they have to be accompanied by an adult over the age of 18. The 12 certificate is purely for DVD, and video, the 12A is used in cinemas. Films with this age certificate contain soft drugs, moderate swear words, infrequent strong language, and moderate violence, sex references and nudity. 15- Only age 15+ are admitted at the cinema, and when buying or renting a film. Films under this classification contain; hard drugs, frequent strong language and limited use of very strong language, strong violence and sex references, and nudity without graphic detail. 18- Only adults aged 18+ admitted at the cinema, and when buying or renting a film. Films under this classification do not have a limitation on strong language, hard drugs and explicit sex references with sexual activity, as long as it is not too graphic. It is also permitted to show scenes of very strong gore and violence.