Seasoned actress Kristin Scott Thomas is taking a break from the familiar to do something a little more edgy with her new film Only God Forgives.

It's a violent Danish-French flick that's been rated 18 in the UK and R in the US, but she's horrified that in France, it has only been given a 12 rating.

In an interview with Hunger magazine, she baulks at the idea of children seeing the crime film, in which she plays matriarch Crystal and stars alongside Ryan Gosling.

Scott is mother to three children in real life, the youngest of whom, George, is 14. She says she wouldn't let her 12-year-old see Only God Forgives and that the decision to rate it so low in France was motivated by profit.

"I found [the film] incredibly violent, and I was very disturbed by the fact that in France it was given the official seal of approval that any child over the age of 12 could see it. That was just the producer wanting to make more money, but it was irresponsible. There is no way my 12-year-old son would see that film," she told the magazine.

"I think [the level of violence in films] is disturbing. People should be more affected. I think people are getting more and more used to violence, violent images and sexual images. We're so used to using the word "f**k" now."

She goes on to express concern about the influence of violent culture and video games, saying children are frustrated when they can't do things in the real world.

"I've seen with my own eyes that more than 20 minutes in front of a screen playing a game is very bad for children," she said.

"It's because they have this idea that they're all powerful, and that they're running the world when they're playing this game, and they find it hard to relate to authority after that. I've found that with my own children. They can't stand being frustrated because they can't do this or that, but a few minutes before their thumbs were ruling the world."