Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 16+
Entertaining dystopian thriller has cursing, strong content.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
People are shown writhing in pain, vomiting, and dying. Semi-automatic weapons used to kill (blood splatter sometimes visible). A gang rape is suggested, and cannibalism is a theme in one episode.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a lot
Folks in underwear, partial stages of undress; one episode shows partially exposed breasts. Romance, jealousy, and relationship issues emerge.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Language
a lot
"Damn," "s--t," "f--k." Rude gestures.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Hard liquor consumption and smoking occasionally visible. Morphine, rohypnol, and injected sedatives are used in various contexts.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Positive Role Models
a little
Simone is strong, courageous, and never stops being committed to Rasmus. The group is loyal to each other.
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Positive Messages
none
Climate change can have fatal results.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Rain is a Netflix original series about survivors in a post-apocalyptic world. It features disturbing images of people writhing in pain, being shot with semi-automatic weapons, and dying. As the series moves forward, content gets stronger, including sexual violence, partial nudity, drinking, smoking, and drug use. Romance, jealousy, and other coming-of-age themes are also present.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Rain
- Parents say (4)
- Kids say (13)
age 16+
Based on 4 parent reviews
Steph B. Adult
May 12, 2018
age 18+
Dumb Dumb Dumb
Don't waste even a minute watching this!It starts off dumb, and just gets dumber and dumber with each passing second. The writers, director, actors and editor assume you are in a vegetative state and that your brain has completely stopped functioning. Predictable? An understatement.Stupid and Predictable? Understating stupidity.It's like someone said, "Hey, I've got a what if?" after each 2-second camera shot. What did it need? A rejection letter from whoever financed it.DUMB DUMB DUMB. It's almost like someone purposely went out of their way to waste someone else's money making this. Who could predict that each and every character would individually perform the dumbest acts possible? My biggest mistake was watching the first 15-minutes. I mean there's stupid and then there's ridiculously stupid. If you have the intelligence of a turnip, you will still be bothered by how stupid the characters are. Better off watching a test pattern... really, that bad.My only real question is, how could anyone release this without a complete re-write and re-shoot; because wow, this is really, really bad.
Linea W. Adult
May 11, 2018
age 17+
Interesting but not for children or teenagers
After a brutal virus wipes out most of the population, two young siblings embark on a perilous search for safety. There are several sex and sensual scenes. There is a shower scene with multiple males/females in underwear and bras, including topless female and rear male nudity. There is also a possible rape scene. There is some profanity throughout including F**k and S**t. The show is riddled with violence and graphic and disturbing scenes.
What's the Story?
THE RAIN is a Danish series about a pair of siblings trying to find answers after a virus-infected rain wipes out most of civilization. Simone (Alba August) and her younger brother Rasmus (Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen) spend six years hidden in a bunker after the rains started, hoping that their father will return for them. After being found by a band of young survivors, including Martin (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard), Beatrice (Angela Bundalovic), Jean (Sonny Lindberg), Lea (Jessica Dinnage), and Patrick (Lucas Løkken), they make their way throughout post-apocalyptic Scandinavia looking for safety and for answers. Simone knows that her brother is the key to understanding everything that's happened, and that her father knows the truth.
Is It Any Good?
This gritty dystopian series, which is dubbed into English, combines horror-laced thrills and a classic coming-of-age story to create something unrelentingly dark and compelling. Set in a post-apocalyptic world that was actively destroyed by climate-related events, Simone, Rasmus, and the rest of the group build friendships, fall in love, fight jealousies, while simultaneously face the brutality of the diseased and violent world they are now forced to live in.
The overall story, which sometimes feels like a cross between Contagion and The Walking Dead, isn't particularly original. The warning it sends about the negative impact humans have on the climate is obvious, too. But this doesn't stop The Rain from being entertaining. The harrowing details of their journey, along with flashbacks of pivotal moments in each character's lives, are offered at a pace that leaves little time to get bored. If you're looking for a binge-worthy end of the world drama, The Rain will fit the bill.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about dystopian stories. How do they address current social problems? Why set something in an alternate reality?
What messages does The Rain offer about climate change? Environmental ethics? What other points does it attempt to make?
TV Details
- Premiere date: May 4, 2018
- Cast: Alba August, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Science Fiction
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
The Rain
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