Netflix’s ‘Sweet Home’ Age Rating & Parents Guide: Is the Show Okay for Kids?

The world of Korean horror is quite vast because this side of Korea’s film and TV industry is quite popular worldwide. ‘Sweet Home’ is one of the most popular post-apocalyptic horror shows due to its unique approach and storyline, as it follows a narrative that shows how humans can turn into monsters due to a curse. But is ‘Sweet Home’ actually okay for kids?

‘Sweet Home’ is rated TV-MA in the United States

There are a lot of great horror productions that have come out of Korea, and a lot of them can be found on Netflix. Of course, while the zombie apocalypse genre Korean horror is quite popular, there is a different kind of post-apocalyptic series that has become quite popular among fans. Released in 2020, ‘Sweet Home’ is one of the best post-apocalyptic series coming from Korea as it has a plot and a storyline that’s quite unique compared to other post-apocalyptic horror shows.

The plot of ‘Sweet Home’ focuses on a group of ordinary citizens trapped in an apartment complex together when the world basically went to hell after people started turning into monsters all of a sudden. They must survive the monster apocalypse together while trying to find out more about the nature of this phenomenon. 

Of course, things don’t always go right for them as they also have to survive one another while trying to find a way to survive the different monsters that are threatening their survival in that large apartment building. They also need to make sure that they don’t turn into monsters, as the phenomenon actually involves a curse that turns ordinary people into monsters. As such, the monsterization process isn’t triggered by a virus or an infection but is actually caused by a curse.

Due to the serious and incredibly violent nature of this horror series, it is rated TV-MA in the United States. While TV-MA doesn’t have an exact age rating, it is often considered that this rating is at the same level as the R rating or the NC-17 rating in movies. As such, only those who are 17 or older should watch ‘Sweet Home’ due to the many different bloody, violent, gory, or even sexual themes that are prevalent in this series.

Blood and gore are normal in ‘Sweet Home’

One of the reasons why ‘Sweet Home’ is rated TV-MA is the fact that there are simply too many violent scenes in this storyline. In fact, ‘Sweet Home’ is actually incredibly bloody and gory, as almost every scene involves something that’s bloody. The different fight scenes with the monsters are quite bloody.

Of course, the monsters in ‘Sweet Home’ are so horrific that they actually kill people in brutal and gory ways. There were some monsters who killed people by basically pummeling them to the ground. Other monsters killed people and even children by using an appendage that’s capable of piercing through the bodies of people.

Gory scenes are also quite normal in this series because the characters have to fight their way through monsters that are looking to kill them. That’s why they have to use any means necessary to defend themselves or take down strong monsters that are out to get them. And such scenes often end up becoming incredibly bloody.

The monsters, of course, are scary beyond imagination and are so horrific that children or even younger audiences would be horrified to see them. This means that ‘Sweet Home’ is incredibly mature in terms of how scary it is, and that’s why only those who are old enough should be watching this series.

‘Sweet Home’ has plenty of mature themes

On top of the fact that there are a lot of bloody and gory scenes in ‘Sweet Home,’ the series is also full of mature themes that are too serious or are not appropriate for younger audiences. There are sexual matters that people aren’t supposed to see, as there is even a scene wherein a man tries to rape a woman but is prevented from doing so.

Another serious theme is related to domestic abuse as one of the characters regularly emotionally and physically abuses his wife, who only takes the abuse as it is without even resisting her husband’s harsh treatment.

There are also instances wherein self-harm and suicide are tackled in the storyline, and younger audience members should always be kept away from anything that suggests suicide. That means that ‘Sweet Home’ can be emotionally traumatizing to younger audiences as well.

Of course, there is also the regular profanity and swearing that is often normal in productions that involve a lot of emotions. Other mature scenes involve alcohol drinking and smoking. That is why there is no doubt that ‘Sweet Home’ is an incredibly serious series that younger teenagers and children should try to avoid.

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