Is Stranger Things 5 Kid Friendly? Parents Guide

The first 4 episodes of Stranger Things Season 5  have been released in time for Thanksgiving. Seasons 1-3 of Stranger Things are pretty evenly violent and scary and are rated TV-14. However, Stranger Things 4 is a whole different level and has a TV-MA rating. Well, it was rated TV-MA and then recently changed to TV-14, however, it deserves that TV-MA rating. Stranger Things Season 5 is rated TV-14, but I would rate it TV-MA. Here’s what parents need to know in this Stranger Things 5 Parents Guide.

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Stranger Things Season 5 Parents Guide

As the kids get older and more mature, so does the show. With the show being true to the times, there’s a lot of smoking and a lack of parental supervision. So just proceed with caution if you’re going to let middle schoolers watch this.

The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.

Stranger Things 5 Age Rating

Stranger Things Season 5 is rated TV-14 for fear, gore, language, disturbing images, and smoking, but it should be rated TV-MA for violence.

Why is Stranger Things Rated TV-14?

Stranger Things 5 is rated TV-14 for mostly horror elements and language which means some content may not be suitable for kids under 14. 

I’m not sure why Netflix hasn’t give it a TV-MA rating due to violence. Some other Netflix teen shows get a TV-MA rating for f-words like Outer Banks, and it’s way more tame.

Stranger Things 5 is very intense as the stakes are higher with the kids trying to save their town and the world. 

Language 

There is a lot of profanity in Stranger Things like sh*t, bullsh*t, and g-ddamn. Those are probably the most frequent and worst offenders. Other words like a**,  a**hole, damn, bit*h, pussy, and taking the Lord’s name in vain like Jesus, Jesus Christ, are also prevalent. 

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Violence in Stranger Things 5

One of the reasons I like Stranger Things as an adult is because I can take some creepy, but I don’t like gory. Welp, Stranger Things 4 and 5 got bloody, gory, and all out crazy. 

In the first 4 episodes, there is quite a bit of blood and gore with characters being shot, characters attacked by a demogorgon, close up shots of blood and injuries, car chases, a character being beat up, use of weapons, a character going to another’s mind, and lots of fear and jump scares. The monsters also target children. 

Episode 4 is especially gruesome with demogorgons chasing and attacking people. Characters are killed, shot, sliced through, and burned alive.

Mature Content

There is kissing, sexual references, and talking about sex in Stranger Things Season 5. There is a joke about dicks that makes a character embarrassed. One scene shows two girls kissing and another character spotting them and running away. 

Not only is there a lot of violence, but there are also themes of revenge, dark memories, and psychological horror. However, there are themes of courage, bravery, family, and friendship. 

Is Stranger Things 5 Too Scary for Kids?

Stranger Things 5 is not kid friendly for kids under 10. If your kids are horror fans, then they’ll probably be ok, but some images will cause nightmares. 

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Is Stranger Things Appropriate for Kids Under 14?

Stranger Things is one of the best shows on TV and as I have older teens, it’s one that we all can watch together. We absolutely binge watched Season 5 when it dropped at 8 pm EST. I understand why kids and teens would be fans of Stranger Things, especially if they’ve been following the gang from the beginning. 

If younger children have enjoyed the series so far, I would caution parents to watch with them or preferably screen it before hand to see if they can handle some of the darker elements and scenes. Seeing favorite characters injured or dead may be emotionally hard for them. 

I’m sad to see this series end. It’s been a wild ride so far, and it just gets better.