Lanterns
NZ release: 16 August 2026
Offensive language, violence, and sex scenes Rated on: 16 August 2026
Season 1, Episode 1
What’s it about?
New recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan are two intergalactic cops. They are drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.
The facts
- Created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers), and Tom King
- Starring Kyle Chandler (Super Pumped), Aaron Pierre (The Underground Railroad), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire), and Garret Dillahunt (Fear the Walking Dead)
- English language
- Part of the DC Universe
- Episodes are released weekly, and will run for eight episodes
- Runtime: Approx. 55 minutes each
Why did it get this rating?
This series was self-rated by HBO Max. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.
The following content warnings relate to the first episode only.
Violence
The strongest scenes in the first episode include:
- A character points a gun at their child and shoots an apple off their head.
- A car goes off a cliff and smashes at the bottom. No one is injured (due to superhero reasons) but the car is spectacularly wrecked.
- We are shown the aftermath of a mass shooting. There is a football field at night that has many dead bodies lying covered in white sheets. We briefly see one body with a number of bullet wounds before a sheet is pulled over it.
- A character is punched in the face and is knocked out.
- A bomb explodes. There are seemingly no casualties.
Sex scenes
Two characters meet in a bar and are then shown having sex in a truck in the carpark outside. They are fully clothed, and there is brief thrusting and moaning.
Offensive language
There is frequent offensive language including “sh*t” (also spoken by children) and “f*ck”.
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.
Further information
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