aka Charlie Sheen

What’s it about?

After 7 years of sobriety, Hollywood royalty Charlie Sheen candidly discusses his rise to fame, public downfall, and journey to redemption.

The facts

• Directed by Andrew Renzi
• Starring Charlie Sheen, Tony Todd, Sean Penn, Denise Richards, Brooke Mueller, and Chris Tucker
• English language
• Two-part series – two episodes, 90 minutes each

Why did it get this rating? 

This series was self-rated by Netflix. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Drug use

This show focuses on an actor retelling detailed experiences with drug addictions, with behind-the-scenes photographs and videos shown depicting partying and drug misuse. 

A man recalls his addictions with various drugs when he became famous, such as cocaine, crack, alcohol, poppers, marijuana, and ecstasy. Stock footage is often used depicting people snorting cocaine, and smoking crack and marijuana.

The main character describes how marijuana, or “weed”, was the first drug he used as a teenager.

 We see old footage of underage boys drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and consuming an undisclosed liquid drug.

Sheen recalls a time where he smuggled “over an ounce of cocaine” on an airplane flight and got a “18-hour nosebleed from doing too cocaine.” He also gives a detailed account of a woman coercing him into a crack addiction whilst performing oral sex on him. Although he gives descriptive and sometimes very pleasant accounts of his experiences with crack cocaine, he also notes how drugs ruined his life and he nearly died from an overdose. He also says that the woman who showed him crack ended up dying from an overdose. Though Sheen goes through several relapses with substance abuse, the show ends with positive messages after he finally quits drugs and decides to focus on being a good father.

Domestic violence

Sheen describes an experience he had where he tried to help a woman he was dating escape a man’s house who was physically abusing her.

We hear an old audio recording of a woman saying her husband held a knife to her throat and threatened her. During an interview for the documentary, she says she was under the influence of so many drugs that she can’t recall whether it actually happened or not, saying she saw herself as “very psychotic.” These scenes may be upsetting for some viewers.

Content that may disturb

During a clip from a real-life radio interview, there is announcement about a man alleging that Sheen raped him while on-set for a movie they were acting in together. Sheen says it never happened and it is depicted as a false accusation.

A news report describes how a woman filed a lawsuit against Sheen for hiding his HIV-positive status while they were together.

Sexual themes

A man describes using his father’s credit card to have sex with a prostitute when he was 15 years old. He also mentions sleeping with a prostitute as an adult.

There is an extended sequence involving a montage of various women dancing sensually on stage during a bikini contest.

A former “madam” (woman who manages expensive prostitutes) is interviewed in the series. She describes how she helped women who “were $10 cum buckets” earn much more money.

Offensive language

This film contains the use of offensive language, with words like “son of a b*tch,” “f**ker,” “bastard.”

Helplines:

Themes including domestic violence could be upsetting for some viewers, especially for those who have gone through similar experiences. If you are struggling with what you have seen on-screen please reach out for help. If you or someone you know needs to talk:

• Women’s Refuge
• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Brain development – how it works, why it matters