Overview
You probably know the beloved 1960s show The Addams Family (and if not, you probably at least know the theme song: “… The Addams Family! Snap! Snap!”). But you’re likely not familiar with Netflix’s spin-off series, Wednesday.
Taking on the morbid and creepy mood of the original, this modern adaptation stars the daughter, Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega). Wednesday is sent to a new boarding school called Nevermore. While you can expect a lot of familiar characters and references to The Addams Family sitcom, this new series adds a layer of dark humor and sinister plot twists that you probably wouldn’t expect.
So before you get your witch’s shawl and broomstick to watch Wednesday with your kids, take a read through this review to be sure it’s safe for your kids to watch!
Harmful Content ❗️
Since the plot of the first season is a murder mystery, parts of the show may not be suitable for all kids. Not to mention, the crux of the Addams family is their love of all things grim. The first episode opens with Wednesday at her old school, setting a piranha attack on the boys of the swim team. She does this in retaliation for bullying her little brother (Pugsley, of course). Then, after she’s taken to Nevermore, she encounters a monster in the woods who is responsible for a string of murders in the nearby town. The imagery is almost always dark and sometimes scary. And the scenes of death are often gory and disturbing.
Language
There are infrequent uses of adult language throughout the show, including “hell,” “s**t,” and “b***h.”
Sexual Content
While there is some romance included in the plot, it doesn’t go beyond characters flirting with each other and kissing.
Violence
As mentioned before, there are some gory scenes of death that parents may want to be aware of. The murders caused by the monster show torn body parts scattered throughout the woods. In another scene, there’s a car wreck in which we see the victim’s neck broken at a disturbing angle.
In addition to these scenes, we see Wednesday Addams has a certain affinity for violence. When she releases the piranhas in the pool she smiles slightly as if to enjoy the scene. Later, her mother tells her she’s lucky she didn’t get charged with attempted murder. Wednesday says that would’ve been terrible because “Everyone would’ve known I failed to get the job done.”
Positive Value 💫
Even the goriest scenes of the show are often accompanied by sharp humor and grandiose acting which seems to water down the intensity of it. Wednesday’s sarcasm, strong will, and refusal to be anyone but herself make her a strong female lead — though not always an example to follow. She pretends as if she doesn’t care about anyone but she actually goes to great lengths to protect certain characters from harm. Ultimately, Wednesday finds strong friendships and learns to value their help.
So, should my kid watch it?
Due to the violence and dark themes of Wednesday, we’d say this one is better for slightly older kids around 13+. However, you know your child best and will know what they can handle.
