10 Netflix Shows That Are Way Too Intense for Kids

Image via Netflix Published Jul 17, 2026, 6:59 PM EDT Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts! On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK. In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Sign in to your Collider account Many streamers nowadays have parental controls that give children the freedom to roam through an app on their own. That means shows that are not appropriate for the kiddos won't be included. But sometimes, we bypass the kid-friendly settings or let them pick the series of their choosing, which means anything you want is a free game. While Netflix does have its guardrails, there are certainly some shows that may look enticing to kids, but in reality, they are far too intense. From shows that originated on the streamer to classics that defined Netflix, the ten titles on this list are great on their own. For kids? Not so much. These shows may feature intense themes, abundant violence, or crude humor. As my mom back in the day realized with South Park, just because a show is animated and features children does not mean it's meant for the kiddos! Now, we're not saying you can't let your kids watch these shows; that's up to you. Be warned: they may not have the viewing experience you'd like. 1 '13 Reasons Why' (2017-2020) When a show makes headlines, usually it's for good reasons. Then, on occasion, a show gets negative headlines that prompt an important conversation. Such was the case for 13 Reasons Why. Based on the 2007 novel by Jay Asher, the teen drama follows high school student Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) as he returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside, he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford), his classmate and crush, who tragically died from suicide two weeks prior. Over the course of four seasons, 13 Reasons Why chronicles the aftermath of the individuals who are the subject of the tapes, whom Hannah felt were responsible for her death. 13 Reasons Why is an unflinching drama that tackles teenage issues like bullying, depression, and sexual assault. Unlike shows like Degrassi, 13 Reasons Why was sometimes intense for shock value. Though teenagers are more likely to have discovered the series through the young adult novel, it did reach some younger viewers, as former Disney Channel star Selena Gomez was part of the producing team. But once inside, kids are likely to find it far too intense. The series is quite graphic for its unfiltered depictions of suicide, sexual assault, and severe bullying. And for some time, it was seen as sensationalizing those topics, sparking a broader national discussion. At the time of the first season drop, there was widespread backlash for the "suicide contagion" that emerged. There were certainly resources to aid in conversations, but the show was meant for a specific demographic. The show was a trigger for many vulnerable viewers. Even carrying a TV-MA rating, it was not a show for those who were still developing emotional regulation skills. Adults are meant to help young adults struggling, and 13 Reasons Why didn't necessarily depict that for dramatic storytelling purposes. 2 'Big Mouth' (2017-2025) Image via Netflix There is a reason why they're called adult animated cartoons. Just because the topic might seem ripe for children doesn't mean the target demographic is them. Such is the case for the beloved comedy Big Mouth. Created by Andrew Goldberg, Nick Kroll, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flackett, Big Mouth follows a group of Westchester, New York, middle-schoolers as they navigate the awkward, embarrassing, and sometimes horrifying realities of puberty, using personified "Hormone Monsters" to represent their surging teenage urges and emotions. Addressing a range of themes, including puberty, mental health, relationships, and identity, Big Mouth is highly explicit with its raunchy displays of sexual health, pornography, and genitalia. For eight triumphant seasons, Big Mouth was a perfect Netflix series for adults who needed a laugh surrounding their formative years. It's not nostalgic, but it was a flashback to the difficult times told with heart and a lot of vulgar humor. It was relatable honesty about taboo topics, tackling them head-on. But even as charming and colorful as the monsters were, they weren't there to be presented as role models. Big Mouth was meant for a mature audience who could handle the graphic humor with the intensity of the topics. For children, they could become overwhelming, leading to more questions than a parent may be ready to answer. Big Mouth is essentially an R-rated cartoon that relies heavily on crude vulgarities. Aiming to normalize the awkwardness of growing up, the intense psychological issues fall away from the fun. 3 'BoJack Horseman' (2014-2020) Just like the above entry, adult animated series are not meant for kids. Even if it features a bevy of talking animals. BoJack Horseman, created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, is set in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist. The story centers on BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett), a washed-up, alcoholic '90s sitcom star, who happens to be an anthropomorphic horse. Bojack struggles with depression, addiction, and his fading celebrity status while trying to write a tell-all autobiography with the help of a human ghostwriter, Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie). A hit for six seasons, BoJack Horseman is an absurd Hollywood satire filled with visual animal puns and heavy themes such as mental health, generational trauma, addiction, and the difficulty of taking accountability to become a better person. BoJack Horseman is a brilliant series. The tragicomedy was unlike anything that had been on screen before. Using cartoon animals to tackle important themes is a strong way for adults to engage with topics that might be difficult to discuss. But, as alluring as the animation looks, these topics are far too advanced for children. Adults have a chance to see themselves in the characters, but for kids who may feel a connection with the titular character's depression, it may lead to an existential crisis they're not ready to tackle on their own. BoJack Horseman is a brutally honest series that can be very heavy at times. This is a show that even the most mature teenagers require conversation between parent and child first before watching. 4 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' (2018-2020) As we will discuss, just because something is lifted from a comic does not mean it translates to being kid-friendly. Especially when the mission was to make it significantly darker than its source material. Bringing Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Robert Hack’s work to life by the writer himself, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina reimagines the classic Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark, occult-filled coming-of-age story. It follows Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) as she struggles to balance her dual identity as a half-witch, half-mortal while battling evil forces in Greendale. Sabrina must choose whether to pledge her soul to Satan and join her family's coven, the Church of Night, or stay with her mortal friends and boyfriend, Harvey Kinkle (Ross Lynch). Chilling Adventures of Sabrina heavily centers on female empowerment, questioning authority, and the conflict between conforming to rigid magical traditions and carving out your own destiny. Unlike other iterations of the character, this one pushes lightheartedness aside for a dark, gothic supernatural story. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina leans into the macabre, à la films like Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist, neither of which is kid-friendly. The show is a wonderfully visceral and darkly vibrant exploration of macabre rituals, satanism, and explicit horror elements that many horror series use to succeed. The series contains visceral depictions of stabbings, bloody sacrifices, brutal hazing, and scenes of necromancy. Instead of playful magic, the show centers on the Church of Night, which literally worships the Devil. The monsters and demons are villains and will go to great lengths to win. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina brings mature topics like cannibalism, orgy-like rituals, and polyamorous relationships into the story. If your kids watched Wednesday and believe this show is the same, it’s not. They may be about teens, but totally, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is much darker than you’d imagine. It may scar the kiddos, especially if you’ve shown them and have any attachment to the sitcom. 5 'Daredevil' (2015-2018) Image via Netflix Today, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is renowned for the variance of tones and styles. But when Netflix was given the keys to the Marvel kingdom, to succeed, they took the comics to a very dark, visceral place. Unlike the lighter and frothy ABC shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, the hit series packed a punch filled with blood, guts, death, and violence. And it all kicked off with Daredevil. Created by Drew Goddard, the story follows Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a man who was blinded by a toxic chemical spill as a young boy. Though he lost his sight, the accident dramatically enhanced his remaining senses to superhuman levels. By day, Murdock works as a dedicated defense attorney, fighting for justice within the legal system. By night, he dons a mask and takes the law into his own hands as the vigilante "Daredevil," patrolling the crime-ridden neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen in New York City. A truly bone-crushing series that centers on his internal conflict between his strict moral code and his duty to the law and the brutal reality of the city's criminal underworld, Daredevil may be a beloved character, but the series is not for kids. The street-level superhero series was celebrated for its realistic, hard-hitting choreography. It grounds high-stakes comic book action in visceral, character-driven drama. There’s a reason why Cox helped unite the Netflix series with the greater MCU— his Daredevil is exceptional! This is not your family-friendly superhero story. Rather than using glowing energy blasts or cartoonish fighting, the combat involves intense hand-to-hand brawls, bone-crushing impacts, and bloody, realistic injuries. And the titular good guy is not immune. As exciting as it is to see the likes of Elektra (Élodie Yung) and The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), these versions are unlike the heroes who pop off the page. They are much darker. Though there are moments of levity with lighthearted characters like Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), the overarching darkness overshadows the humor. The series rarely portrays heroes and villains in absolute black-and-white. Daredevil himself grapples with a desire for violent vengeance rather than justice, and his Catholic guilt plays a massive role in the narrative. Daredevil is more of a psychological drama than a light-heroic adventure. If your kids love the MCU, the Netflix shows may need to be sat out 6 'F Is for Family' (2015-2021) Image via Netflix We all have or may know a dysfunctional family, which is why we’re drawn into watching them on screen. Even though the Bill Burr and Michael Prince-created series is animated, it’s not for families; just the adults who endure the dysfunction. Set in the 1970s, F Is Family follows the brutally honest, dysfunctional Murphy family as they navigate societal changes, economic struggles, and the general anxieties of blue-collar life in suburban Pennsylvania. Loosely based on Burr's own childhood, F Is For Family tackles the era's genuine societal frustrations and family dynamics through a darkly comedic approach. Through nuanced storytelling, F Is For Family offers an unvarnished look at parenting styles, workplace culture, and gender roles, balancing raunchy humor and vulgarity with emotional, relatable family arcs. F Is for Family dives deep into unapologetically cynical themes. It goes where adult comedies are known to go: emotional abuse, pervasive profanity, and crude sexual humor. And through the dysfunction of the family, F Is for Family depicts a household with verbal abuse, alcoholism, drug use, and trauma that is deeply unsuitable for younger viewers. Even if the kids Kevin, Billy, and Maureen (Justin Long, Haley Reinhart, and Debi Derryberry) may have coming-of-age stories within the five-season run, they’re told from an adult perspective that younger children may not process properly. F is for Family is meant as nostalgia for a certain generation, just not children. 7 'Jessica Jones' (2015-2019) Image via Netflix The second entry into the Netflix and Marvel collaboration was Jessica Jones. Created by Melissa Rosenberg, the gritty neo-noir thriller follows Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), a super-powered but deeply traumatized private investigator living in New York City. Instead of saving the world, she struggles with severe PTSD and alcoholism, using her enhanced strength to run a small detective agency called Alias Investigations. As Jessica attempts to overcome her traumatic past, fighting both internal and external demons, she embraces her infamy as a superpowered killer. Jessica Jones is known for its dark, mature themes, with an unapologetically raw, unflinching performance from Ritter. Rather than traditional cape-wearing superhero tropes in exchange for a gritty, psychological crime thriller. Jessica fronts as a brilliantly flawed, human protagonist. She is not an idealized, noble human. Instead, she is an alcoholic, cynical private eye battling her demons, reluctant to embrace the hero moniker thrust upon her. In a character-driven drama, she faces off against formidable foes, including the brilliant villain Kilgrave (David Tennant), who can mind-control anyone and serves as a terrifying embodiment of psychological and emotional abuse. But his control isn't mundane tricks; he forces his prey to murder, which is seen on screen. This hero series is quite mature for any young viewer. The psychological manipulation explored in the first season moves into emotionally visceral discussions of rape. Jessca Jones is brilliant for what it is, and what it is not is sanitized. Jessica Jones is hardcore. 8 'Luke Cage' (2016-2018) Image via Netflix The third Marvel on Netflix series was Luke Cage, created by Cheo Hodari Coker. In this street-level superhero show, a man named Carl Lucas (Mike Colter), an innocent man who gains superhuman strength and unbreakable skin from a sabotaged prison experiment. He adopts the alias Luke Cage in hopes of living a quiet life in Harlem. However, he is constantly pulled out of hiding to defend his community from within, thanks to corrupt politicians, local crime lords, and underground syndicates who attempt to drive Harlem into their control. As Cage attempts to balance his desire for peace with his new responsibilities, he must defeat the likes of Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes (Mahershala Ali) and Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard), who use the media to spin him from hero to public menace. A rich exploration of Black culture through undeniably quintessential music and aesthetics, Luke Cage is filled with graphic violence, constant profanity, and mature themes to keep the story authentic. Luke Cage is an intense depiction of what a bulletproof hero would look like in the real world. Luke is open and out on the street as the Hero of Harlem. Having bullets literally bounce right off him, he serves as a powerful metaphor for withstanding systemic violence, racism, and the struggles for social justice. In exchange for an authentic story, Luke Cage depicts corruption at its finest. That means, in order to control the drug and weapon trade, unsavory individuals doing dastardly things fill the screen more than you see Cage saving the day. The graphic violence leads to bloody fights with bodies flying from high surfaces, being gunned down in cold blood, and the innocent succumbing to untimely demises to showcase why this version of Harlem is dangerous. Without the superpowers, the allure for children may not be there, which means Luke Cage would be for adult eyes only. With heavy language, including racial and misogynistic slurs, this Marvel show is not for kiddos. 9 'Stranger Things' (2016-2025) Image via Netflix This may be a tricky one, as some parents used Stranger Things to usher the next generation into the world of horror and sci-fi. It may be a gateway series, but the truth is, it's a bit too intense for those not mature enough. There may be kids at the center of the story, but the trauma makes them mature faster than the average child. And that's not just a dig at watching the actors age in real-time. Created by the Duffer Brothers, the peak Netflix series set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s, the story follows a tight-knit group of kids who uncover a dark, nightmarish parallel dimension known as the Upside Down. When Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) mysteriously vanishes, his mother Joyce (Winona Ryder), the local chief of police, Jim Hopper (David Harbour), and his friends go on an epic search when they stumble upon a government conspiracy and a young, traumatized girl with psychic abilities named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who has escaped from the facility. Over the course of five seasons, the initial rescue mission evolves into a battle to save the town and the world. While no show has shaped pop culture in the way Stranger Things has, the series goes places that are far too intense for younger kids. Devoted fans may have taken issue with how the series eventually concluded, but the journey to get there was not sunshine and gumdrops. Stranger Things features graphic monster violence, intense jump scares, and dangerous situations. And that's just the surface. The show notoriously explores disturbing psychological body horror where characters are gruesomely killed, manipulated, and possessed. Even further, Stranger Things heavily centers the story on child endangerment, medical torture, and escalating gore that gets darker as the story reaches its fever pitch. At its core, Stranger Things is a coming-of-age story about a group of friends. But no child has ever had to experience the trauma that the kids of Hawkins endured. With so many terrible things happening to the children in this town, it might traumatize them into thinking it could happen to them. Stranger Things is an adult-oriented show that just so happens to center on kids. And though the animated series Stranger Things Tales From '85 captures the feel of '80s Saturday-morning cartoons, the essence is still cumbersome. 10 'The Witcher' (2019-Present) Image via Netflix Fantasy stories tend to have an allure to children because they naturally tap into the imagination of those who watch. Perhaps the animated fantasy films from early childhood may have caused us to expect all live-action fantasy shows to follow the same format, but that's not the case for The Witcher. It has an immediate appeal, but the fantasy drama based on Andrzej Sapkowski's novels and video games is for adults only. Created by Lauren Schmidt Hissirch, the long-running series follows Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill and Liam Hemsworth), a mutated monster hunter, who struggles to find his place in a corrupt world where humans are often more wicked than beasts. His destiny becomes intertwined with a powerful sorceress, Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), and a young princess, Cirilla (Freya Allan). At its heart, The Witcher is a story of destiny. On the surface, it is a thrilling monster-hunting action-forward dark fantasy where magical spells lead to dynamic sword combat meant for older eyes. Though fans have felt that The Witcher deviates a tad too much from its source material, it is still a phenomenal, high-budget thrill ride. The action sequences are brilliantly intense, fast-paced live-action battles that rival those of Game of Thrones. The show dives into rich world-building, which gives viewers a reason to carry through with the series, especially when the cast changes from Cavill to Hemsworth. Though kids may enjoy the video games, the translation into live-action form is designed for adults. The Witcher features graphic violence, including scenes of decapitation, dismemberment, and severe gore. There are moments of frequent and explicit nudity. And dark themes of torture, suicide, abuse, and complex moral dilemmas fill the narrative. Though The Witcher might seem kid-oriented, it's best to let only those mature young adults watch when they're ready. The Witcher Release Date December 20, 2019 Network Netflix