Tragicomic coming-of-age series has lots of violence, drugs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
Many tense moments and overt, bloody violence, from prison yard brawls to a child being whipped by a teacher. A rat's tail is sliced off in a graphic scene. A woman is shown painfully detoxing from heroin.
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Eli's family can be loving but they are also violent and abusive. Eli and Gus love and support each other through hard times.
Diverse Representations
a little
The main chararacters are White. A small side character is Indigenous Australian. There are some potential stereotypes, like a Vietnamese drug lord. Some racial humor, like when a character claims to be descended from samurai and is reminded that he's Vietnamese. A main character has what appears to be selective mutism.
Most of the adults in this series are terrible role models, but others are complex, like convicted murderer/babysitter Slim, who cares for the boys with kindness.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Boy Swallows Universe is an Australian series based on the book by Trent Dalton about Eli (played by Felix Cameron), a bright kid who gets involved with the family business: dealing drugs. Though this is a show with a kid narrator, it's got a lot of adult content. Expect extreme violence, from bloody prison-yard brawls to the graphic slicing of a rat's tail. Drugs and their effects are frequently present: Main characters sell drugs, specifically heroin, and some use them. Children are involved in the sale of drugs, and parents, like Travis Fimmel's stepdad Lyle, aren't positive role models. Frequent language includes "f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," and "c--t." All of this is presented through a lightly comic lens, but the themes are dark, and there are many intense moments.
I loved this series, and so did our kids, aged 13, 14, and 15. The characters are fantastic, and the acting is top-notch, culminating in a happy ending. However, I believe it is more suitable for older kids due to some mature content. Unfortunately, there are occasional jokes about bestiality and oral sex, which felt unnecessary. While there are no explicit sex scenes, some content might be confronting for younger viewers, such as themes of heroin addiction, domestic violence, and physical violence.
I didn't expect it to be as good of a show as it is, I knew the actress who plays the Mom, Phoebe Tonklin, was amazing but the little brother has some great acting skills. The way they have him approach Lyle about dealing drugs was impressive. Most people think kids that age are clueless but they aren't.
What's the Story?
Eli Bell (Felix Cameron) is a smart kid with a wild family. With a kind but too-trusting mum who's a former addict, and a stepdad Eli is convinced is dealing drugs again, there's lots for him to worry about. Even his penpal is in prison, and his babysitter's a convicted murderer. The only safe person in his life is his brother Gus (Lee Tiger Halley), who has selective mutism and spells words out with his finger (the audience sees this as smoky letters). When a mysterious red telephone starts taking Eli's calls, things get even wilder.
This series features exceptional acting by the young actors, and Fimmel also shines as the dirtbag stepdad who can't stay out of trouble. Boy Swallows Universe does feature some cliches and stereotypes, like the overly kind, questioning school counselor, and a threatening Vietnamese drug kingpin. But frequently, the series goes deeper and presents strong portrayals of an Australian family whose underworld connections aren't the most interesting thing about them.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about challenging home situations. Who supports Eli when his parents aren't available?
Do you think this series contains stereotypes or well-drawn characters? Why or why not?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Polly Conway
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
