Parents' Guide to

Westworld

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Thoughtfully creepy sci-fi has lots of sex and violence.

TV HBO Drama 2016
Westworld Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • Westworld TV: Scene #1
  • Westworld TV: Scene #2
  • Westworld TV: Scene #3
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Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 22 parent reviews

RealRating
RealRating Adult
March 15, 2020
age 18+

Pornographic Scenes, NOT for TV 14

For the people commenting that kids 12 if mature enough, or even older kids can watch this show, is very alarming. It seems Pornographic scenes in shows are becoming the new standard for TV 14. This is not a healthy way for our teens to learn about sex. Please pay better attention to what our children are seeing and give more accurate reviews. A concerned parent. Otherwise, the show is interesting, a little on the slow side, but interesting and artistic.
Sarah R.
Sarah R. Parent of 14 and 17-year-old
January 30, 2023
age 13+

Outstanding, addictive and though provoking for families with teenagers

Our family just finished season 1 and found it one of the most thought-provoking and brilliant seasons of TV we've ever seen. The themes of consciousness, morality, and what it means to be human are explored with depth and sophistication, while the script, acting, music and cinematography are exceptional. This is a show you have to watch even if it's just for the masterful plot twists and dialogue. I think the violence is less extreme and graphic than Game of Thrones or Walking Dead and the sexual violence in particular is not nearly as explicit as GoT. More importantly, it consistently provides a critique of sexual objectification and the male gaze, with two of the main plot threads focusing on female agency. There are amazing female characters! There is a lot of nudity, including full-frontal but it is generally non-sexual and serves to highlight the objectification of the hosts. Any sex scenes are non-explicit and briefly shown. I was very comfortable watching this with my 14 year old, although there are some shows on TV that are way too explicit for me to watch comfortably with her! Highly recommended for teenagers and adults to watch together and generate interesting philosophical discussions.
See all 22 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on the 1973 sci-fi/western by Michael Chrichton, WESTWORLD is set in a futuristic Old West-themed park, where guests spend a week or two riding horses, robbing banks, playing cards at saloons -- and pushing around realistically humanoid robots, who can be killed, raped, or injured with impunity. The robots are called "Hosts," the guests, "Newcomers," and the guests visit the park for as long as they can afford. However, some robots are glitching, stepping out of their roles, and even trying to hurt Newcomers, including longtime guest The Man in Black. The park's staff is trying desperately to keep all the problems under cover. But with the Hosts becoming more and more aware of just how they're trapped, that's getting more difficult all the time. Meanwhile, some guests are looking for a deeper meaning beneath the park's simple narrative.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (22 ):
Kids say (14 ):

Thoughtful, twisty, and disturbing, this grim series digs into just what it means to be human and presents viewers with more questions than answers. The 1973 movie was creepy and effective but a lark -- this is darker and even more troubling. The villains aren't as easy to spot in this new version. Ed Harris' Man in Black is the most obvious one, a guest taking vile jollies in his freedom to mess with Hosts like Evan Rachel Wood's doe-eyed Southern belle Dolores and James Marsden's square-jawed gunslinger Teddy.

As we watch the sympathetic Hosts take physical and emotional abuse from both Newcomers and the scientists who created them, it becomes clear that no one's a hero here -- not the thoughtless humans, not the helpless robots, and most definitely not the cynical people who write the park's scripts and steer the Host/Newcomer interactions. Are the makers of Westworld actually asking us to sympathize with robots rising up against humans? They sure are -- and they're doing a bang-up job of it, too. This is the best kind of sci-fi: It entertains you and makes you think.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the fear of technology gone wrong in Westworld. Do you think robots will ever become this advanced? Would it be a good thing or a bad thing?

  • Westworld depicts humans who are allowed to hurt and even kill robots with no consequences. Is this less disturbing than killing a person? Why do you think the decision was made to have the robots bleed, experience wounds, and groan in pain? Why is it OK to see some types of violence but not others?

  • Have you seen the 1973 movie on which this series is based? How is this version different? Why would the creators choose to leave out certain aspects of the first movie while inserting new characters and action?

TV Details

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