Atlanta, Season 4

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 Hiro Murai, Donald Glober, Adamma Ebo, and Angela Barnes
• Starring Brian Tyree Henry, Donald Glover, Zazie Beetz, and LaKeith Stanfield
• English language, with dubbed in various other languages
• 30 minutes per episode, on average

Why did it get this rating?

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

Seasons 1 and 2 are rated M, whilst seasons 3 and 4 are rated 16.

Adult themes

Atlanta explores themes that may not be suitable for younger audiences, giving detailed depictions of racism, injustice, degradation, mental illness, and even modern-day slavery of a young black child.

Violence and cruelty

During episode 6, whilst visiting a mall, a rapper is chased by a man shooting sporadically at him. This leads to a chaotic shootout with various civilians pulling out guns and joining in, turning the mall into a warzone. An innocent man selling shoes is killed by a stray bullet, with blood spraying all over the car’s window shield, and a boy is held by the shooter as a human shield, but he is not harmed. Though the scene is quite violent, it is clear that is criticizes gun culture, rather than endorses it.

Sexual references and nudity

A picture of a man with his penis clearly visible is shown briefly for comedic purposes.

The entire show contains brief, crude sexual references, such as men talking about “smashing” women. 

Drug use

Marijuana is consumed countless times throughout the show via edibles and smoking. A man is seen growing a shed full of marijuana plants on his farm. 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.” Slurs such as “f*ggot” and the N-word are also used, but not in directly derogatory ways.

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

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