Is Kaleidoscope Scary & Can Kids Watch It? Age Rating Explained

There are a lot of different heist series and storylines that you can watch but Kaleidoscope is one of the most intriguing ones for a lot of fans due to its format as a series that has an episode sequence that is random. In that regard, Kaleidoscope might be something that younger audiences could be interested in and should be a storyline that parents might want to watch during a lazy day. But is Kaleidoscope scary, and can kids watch it with their parents?
Kaleidoscope is rated TV-MA due to the strong language and heavy violence that you can see in the series. Of course, while it isn’t a scary storyline that should spook parents and children alike, the fact that is it a violent series that can also be sexually suggestive is the reason why kids shouldn’t watch it.
While it might be true that Kaleidoscope has a unique format that might attract parents and kids alike, the fact is that parents shouldn’t allow their kids to watch it or even watch it together with their kids. It might not be a scary or gory series but it should be too violent and suggestive for children. That said, let’s learn more about Kaleidoscope and its age rating.
What Is Kaleidoscope About?
If there’s a series that has become quite intriguing for fans all over the world, it is Netflix’s Kaleidoscope. That’s because the series can be watched in any order and regardless of which episode you watch first or last or in between. In that regard, it follows the uniqueness of a series like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch but it also has its own identity as a series. So, what is Kaleidoscope about?
Kaleidoscope is a series that follows the classic heist formula in the sense that it has a central character that is looking to become the mastermind of a heist that would allow him and his crew members to end up escaping with a lot of money after pulling off the heist of the century against a particularly rich individual or entity. In this case, we are talking about how Giancarlo Esposito’s Leo Pap character is looking to rob Roger Salas.
Of course, the series also allows us to get to know more about the characters on a personal level as the episodes talk about the backstories and motives of the characters involved in the heist. But the point is that it follows the classic heist formula of someone acting as the mastermind of a heist and hiring a crew of individuals with specializations in their respective fields.
Another thing that makes Kaleidoscope unique is that it actually is based on a true story. The storyline is set against the background of the 2012 Hurricane Sandy disaster that flooded parts of New York. As such, Pap and the other characters are looking to use Sandy as a way a cover for their escape.
For those who don’t know, Hurricane Sandy was responsible for millions or even billions of property damage and stock and bond certificate losses. While the events of Kaleidoscope are heavily fictionalized, there is still a hint of non-fiction in the setting of Kaleidoscope.
Is Kaleidoscope Scary?
The fact that Kaleidoscope was meant to be an action crime drama that is realistic is the reason why this series isn’t scary. There are no horror elements in Kaleidoscope at all because of the fact that it was never a horror or even a thriller.
So, for those who are unable to stomach scary storylines with jump scares of suspenseful and thrilling scenes, Kaleidoscope shouldn’t be something that you should be worried about. In fact, the series is more of a crime drama storyline than it is an action series. But the fact that isn’t scary doesn’t mean that it should be safe for kids to watch.
What Is Kaleidoscope’s Age Rating?
Kaleidoscope comes with a TV-MA rating. That means that this series is very mature and comes with different scenes that only mature audiences should watch. Of course, while the series doesn’t have any horror scenes, it still should e left for mature audiences to watch due to its very nature as an action-drama storyline with scenes that can be quite violent.
For those who don’t know, the TV-MA rating is for mature audiences or for those 17 years old or older. Younger audiences require parental guidance or should stay away from the series altogether. In that regard, if you are on the younger side of the teen years, this series might be too mature for you.
The things that make Kaleidoscope mature are its violent and suggestive scenes. It isn’t as gory or as violent as the other shows you can watch on television. But the thing is that the violent scenes involve the use of firearms and other weapons. And that means that it is a very mature series that requires mature audiences.
Of course, there’s also the fact that Kaleidoscope has suggestive scenes that are related to other mature topics, such as drugs, alcohol, and sex. That is why it is rated TV-MA as it has themes that are simply mature.
Can Kids Watch Kaleidoscope?
With all that said and established about the age rating and storyline of Kaleidoscope, there is no doubt that this is a series that kids shouldn’t be allowed to watch. The mature themes and scenes that come with it might be too heavy for kids, and that’s why it was never meant to be for younger audiences at all.
In that regard, parents should make sure that their kids shouldn’t watch Kaleidoscope no matter how unique its format may be or how intriguing its storyline is. On top of that, it shouldn’t be a series that families should be watching with their kids during a lazy family day. Parents and other adults should watch this series without having their kids or other children around due to how mature and suggestive the series can be.