Atlanta, Season 2

What’s it about?

Earn and his cousin Alfred try to make their way in the world through Atlanta’s rap scene. As they navigate their changing lives, they come face-to-face with issues of status, poverty, parenthood, and race.

The facts

• Created by Donald Glover
• Directed by Hori Murai, Donald Glover, and Amy Seimetz
• Starring Brian Tyree Henry, Donald Glover, Zazie Beetz, and LaKeith Stanfield
• English language30 minutes per episode, on average

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.

Adult themes

Atlanta explores themes that may not be suitable for younger audiences, giving detailed depictions of racism, injustice, degradation, and mental illness.

Violence and cruelty

Episode 8 may be particularly disturbing for some people as a main character is jumped and beaten on the street by a group of his own fans. This leads him to flee into the forest where he panics, and a man holds a knife at his throat threatening to kill him and steal his clothes. As he walks through the woods, multiple dead deer are seen with their bloody guts hanging out of their stomachs.

Episode 1 contains a montage of a man acting violently whilst a voice-over explains what he is doing. Some of these incidents include shooting an unarmed teenager, beating a flamingo to death, and eating another man’s face bloodily, all of which are not directly or clearly shown but described instead.

Sexual references and nudity

An episode starts immediately with an oral sex scene. Though no genitals are shown, we hear moaning and graphic oral sex sounds.

Characters in the show frequently visit strip clubs, during which female dancers are shown nude.

During a scene at a fraternity party, two rows of at least twelve fully nude men are clearly seen for an extended period of time.

There are many sexual references, such as men talking about “smashing” women. 

Suicide

Episode 6 may be disturbing and unsettling for viewers due to themes of trauma and abuse. After shooting someone, a character then immediately turns the shotgun around and kills himself. This scene could be distressing for viewers affected by suicide.

Drug use

Characters smoke marijuana and take ‘edibles.’ Drugs like cocaine and hallucinogens are also used.

Two of the main characters are drug dealers at the start of the show, but most of their dealings are only referenced, rather than directly shown. 

Offensive language

This series contains frequent uses of highly offensive language, with words like "f*ck,” “b*tch,” “c*nt,” “c*ck,” “sh*t,” and “d*ck.” Homophobic slurs and the N-word are also used.

When content stays with you: 

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.  

• 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