If you’re in the mood for a thriller with full answers, you’ll want to check out the Netflix miniseries The Survivors. The Australian drama brings us a group of people struggling with an event that happened years earlier, but now they have a new mystery to solve.
The Survivors on Netflix opens with the death of three boys, and one of the only survivors is quick to be painted as a villain of sorts. It doesn’t help that one of the victims was his older brother, something his mom hasn’t been able to look past. And so, it’s not surprising to find out that he runs away from home to start a new life elsewhere.
As he returns, bringing his daughter to visit his parents, the murder of a young woman opens up old wounds. Now the town is thrown into another mystery, as they try to figure out who Bronwyn was, and why anyone would want her dead.
The Survivors age rating: This doesn’t quite earn its TV-MA rating
Netflix has given The Survivors a TV-MA rating, which is the equivalent of an R-rated movie. In other words, it’s aimed at adults, but the series as a whole doesn’t really justify that when it comes to the content. In fact, it’s another case where the slightly lower age ratings around the world of 15 or 16 work better.
Sex & nudity: While there are a couple of brief moments of male nudity, there is nothing full frontal or graphic. There is no female nudity at all.
Violence & gore: The series opens with a boy trapped in a cave and then swimming out to sea, and it is a scary experience as you realize that this is the past events when the boys’ deaths happened. There is also a visible view of a dead woman, including the trauma to her feet and nails, indicating that she was murdered.
However, there isn’t a lot of violence shown. The “gore” is mostly the aftermath of a fight or of a situation that characters have found themselves in, so the actual way of getting the injuries is left up to the imagination.
Language: There are some S-words uttered and a couple of F-bombs here and there. However, the language is on the mild side considering the overall storytelling.
Alcohol & drugs: We do get some scenes in bars, which means there are adults drinking regularly. This is on the mild side, though, especially compared to many other shows in this genre.
Overall verdict: Who is The Survivors appropriate for?
If you’re looking to get your teenagers into the crime drama or thriller genres, then The Survivors is a great start. I do think it’s suitable for those 15 and over, as the violence level is mild and the language isn’t too heavy.
Children younger than that probably won’t appreciate the storytelling and the mystery involved in the series. It could also be a little scary for some younger children, especially when it comes to the flashbacks to the incident 15 years before the series begins.
The Survivors is available to stream on Netflix.