Euphoria
NZ release: 16 June 2019
Explicit sex scenes, drug use, sexual violence, violence Rated on: 16 June 2019
Season 1
What’s it about?
A series that focuses on Rue, an older teenager fresh out of rehab who struggles with addiction and depression while also navigating complicated relationships with her high school peers.
The facts
- Directed by Sam Levinson
- Stars Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Angus Cloud
- English language
- 50 minutes per episode
Why did it get this rating?
This series was self-rated by Neon. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.
Sexual Violence
Euphoria contains several scenes involving sexual violence that may be upsetting for viewers.
There are snippets of online pornography that show sexual violence and abuse, such as women being beaten or choked.
An adult grooms a teenager and has sex with her.
Girls are threatened with rape.
A naked teenage boy is pinned down by masked frat boys who hump and grind at him while filming him, leaving him deeply shaken and upset.
Self-harm
A young character with body dysmorphia cuts themselves off-screen, shown with blood running down their fingers. Their recovery and gender transition is referenced.
A teenager deliberately cuts her arm and she’s shown with a bloody wound.
There are occasional reference to suicide and suicidal thoughts. A character with suicidal ideation receives support and encouragement.
Explicit Sex Scenes
The series contains frequent sexual content. This includes scenes with sex between characters, shown with movement, as well as scenes depicting choking during sex and bondage-type behaviour. Clips from a pornographic website show explicit sexual acts and nudity.
There are also visual references to rough sexual activity, including bite marks and bruising on characters' bodies, and frank conversations about sex, including the sending of explicit images.
A teenage boy is shown storing explicit images on his phone. Girls are shown taking sexual photos of themselves and posting videos of themselves dancing in a sexual way online. Characters are sexualised through social media, with explicit images and videos of them shared without their consent, including on pornographic websites.
Drug Use
Characters smoke marijuana, take ecstasy, snort cocaine and misuse prescription drugs like fentanyl and opiates. A drug addict avoids a positive drug test. Teenagers are shown hallucinating, dancing, and having sex after getting high.
Violence
Characters are beaten, punched, stabbed, and shot, with blood and injury detail. A woman is choked and ends up with significant bruising on her neck in a scene of intimate partner violence. There are verbal references to family violence.
Offensive Language
Contains strong language including “f**k’, ‘motherf**ker’, ‘pr*ck, ‘p*ssy’, and ‘d*ck’. Less frequent use of ‘c*nt’, ‘wh*re’, and ‘f*gg*t’ as insults. Use of “nigg*” in a casual way.
Helplines:
Themes such as sexual violence and self-harm 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:
Further information
Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
