Stranger Things

What’s it about?

A year after the events of season 1, the Upside Down resurfaces as Will suffers visions of a monstrous Mind Flayer, new threats emerge, and Eleven returns from hiding to help her friends close the gate before Hawkins falls.

Stranger Things appeals to teenage audiences, with many having aged through their teenage years as the show released new seasons. Because of this, each new season tends to have more graphic content than the previous one. Here are the content warnings for each season:

Season 1 –  M | Horror, violence

Season 2 – 13 | Horror

Season 3 – 13 | Horror

Season 4 – 16 | Horror, graphic violence

The facts

• Created by The Duffer Brothers
• Starring Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Cara Buono, and Sean Astin
• English language
• 9 episodes, 50 minutes per episode, on average
• Series awarded 12 Primetime Emmys

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.

Graphic violence

This show contains various bloody, violent scenes, with some scenes depicting large amounts of blood splatter and people being killed, but the actual killing is not always shown. It often places child characters in danger from an alien monster.

Often, there are scenes where it feels like something violent is going to happen. Often these scenes are followed by a jump care or something comedic.

Dog-like, bloodthirsty monsters make way into a lab elevator full of people, attacking and feasting on them. The actual attack is not shown but when the elevator arrives at the next floor, we see the aftermath with bloodied, dead bodies.

Horror

This series follows a group of teenagers who are hunted by a menacing and frightening monster. Its appearance is likely to frighten viewers, with a large face that opens revealing sharp teeth and an overall slimy and fleshy body. There are various creepy and unsettling scenes throughout.

There are several jump scares and scenes where innocent characters are killed.

Content that may disturb

Trauma is depicted in the form of a teen girl’s flashbacks to being locked up, brainwashed, and experimented on in a windowless room alone, by a man who she calls “papa.”

An older brother grabs his sister’s hand and threatens to run over her friends with his car whilst they’re riding bikes.

Sexual references

Sexual references occur, such as when a male character asks a teenager how the “pull out” was, in reference to sex with his girlfriend, but this may go over younger viewers’ heads. Another reference involves one teenage male character telling another not to “cream his pants.”

There is a sex scene between two characters, with no nudity shown.

Offensive language

This series contains the use of a variety of offensive language, with words like “b*tch,” “a**,” “d*ck,” “sh*t,” “bastard,” “p*ssy,” and a couple uses of “f**k.” There are also a few uses of offensive and derogatory words, such as “wh*re,” “sl*t,” and “f*ggot.”

The middle finger is used in insult a few times throughout the show.

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

• Navigating Early Horror Experiences: Don't Let Nostalgia Get in the Way of Good Choices! | Classification Office
• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Brain development – how it works, why it matters