Violence and gore can appear out of nowhere; a disembodied tongue is kept in a drawer. Birds peck at a character's open, bloody wound. A background character is beaten by police.
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A character is shown buying cigarettes; a full ashtray is later seen. Characters drink in nightclubs and at home; one gets drunk and doesn't remember the night before.
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Lead characters are White, Egyptian-British, Black, and multiracial. The most powerful god, Zeus, is played by Jeff Goldblum, a White male. The show's creator, Charlie Covell, is non-binary.
The gods are generally selfish and self-interested. Kaos' humans are often confused and searching.
Positive Messages
very little
Be true to yourself. Family is important, but not everything. Don't take everything at face value.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Kaos is a dark comedy about a world in which Greek gods are in charge; it's a modern retelling of many mythic tales. Jeff Goldblum (Thor: Ragnarok, Jurassic Park) slyly plays top god Zeus, who's struggling with his power over the usually worshipful metropolis of Crete. Meanwhile, his offspring—including party boy Dionysus (Nabhaan Riswan)—and other part-gods and mortals are having challenges of their own. Expect sporadic but sometimes-shocking violence, including gory moments like a bloody wound being pecked at by birds, a tongue in a drawer, car crashes, and a suicide attempt with a gun. Language is also frequent and includes "f--k," "s--t," "goddamn," "bastard," "suck a d--k," and more. Characters kiss and make out; a couple is in bed, and a woman's buttocks are shown. Someone buys cigarettes, a full ashtray is seen, and people drink (sometimes to excess) at nightclubs and at home. While the characters are certainly flawed, there are messages about being true to yourself and not taking everything at face value.
This is an interesting take on Greek mythology set in current times. I saw the MA rating but I’ve also seen Netflix slap that on shows that had heavy violence or alcohol drug use, and could still work for teens. My 11 y/o loves mythology so I thought I’d do a quick run through. Definitely not for children. The language was very strong, but the sex scenes were gratuitous. One shows a man receiving oral in a nightclub, others showing two men having sex in a bathroom, a headboard gripping scene between Zeus and a mortal etc. Unfortunately it won’t be something we can enjoy together.
It's time once again for Olympus Day, where modern humans in the LA-like city of Crete celebrate, worship, and sacrifice for their god, Zeus. That's right: in this world, Greek gods rule, and Zeus (Jeff Goldblum) is king of them all. Along with his wife, Hera, Zeus sits atop Mount Olympus and is visited by only one of his many children, Dionysus (Naahban Riswan). Meanwhile, mortals Eurydice and Orpheus are dealing with their own relationship issues. When Zeus notices a "blip" in his perfectly flowing fountain, things start going a little awry. Will he remain in total power, or will the reign of Mount Olympus begin to topple?
This series grapples with big gods and bigger ideas, mostly successfully. Kaos is jam-packed with goofball gods; standouts include Goldblum as the trashy Zeus, a being with all the power and none of the taste, living a Kardashian-esque life of excess, and Rizwan as his twitchy son, ready to leave partying behind and experiment with his own power. Viewers don't need to be fully versed in the history of Greek immortals, as the series is narrated by Prometheus (Stephen Dillane).
Creator Charlie Covell, given a much bigger budget to play with than in their last series, the outstandingEnd of the F***ing World, feels a little out of their element—too many visual gags and Greek puns make this larger-than-life show somewhat heavy-handed. Still, it's a sometimes compelling, often funny romp through an alternate universe where the gods are petulant, unforgiving, and sometimes wear Gucci.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of gods. What's the difference between the way Crete worships versus your own city or country? How different are Zeus and Hera from your idea of what a god should be?
How do the characters in this series deal with self-doubt and fear?
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?
