Common Sense Media Review
By Stephanie Morgan, based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 14+
Teen murder mystery keeps you guessing; drugs, sexy stuff.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that School Spirits is a thriller that revolves around the murder of a teenage girl. There's a small bullying incident and a gay character refers to being tortured when he was in high school. Two boys get into a short fight. Small amounts of blood are sometimes shown but there aren't any gory scenes or graphic violence. Characters are regularly in scary situations with tense music, hooded figures, and a sense of peril. Someone is hit by a car. Maddie tells stories of her mother (who's in rehab) often being drunk and unable to function. A teacher deals drugs. Xavier is caught getting ready to vape marijuana. There's mention of a bad acid trip as a possible cause of death. Teenagers drink alcohol at a high school homecoming dance. Some sexual innuendos and references to future plans for sex. Sexting occurs but nothing explicit is shown. Teen couples are shown kissing and making out, a boy starts to unzip a girl's pants and they discuss where they should be when they have sex (her for the first time). Naked butts are shown in a school shower, and a boy is shown showering naked from the chest up. Profanity includes "ass," "hell," "son of a bitch," "s--t," and occasionally "f--k."
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a lot
Sexual innuendos and references to future plans for sex. Sexting occurs but nothing explicit is shown. Teen couples are shown kissing and making out, a boy starts to unzip a girl's pants and they discuss where they should be when they have sex (her for the first time). Naked butts are shown in a school shower, and a boy is shown showering naked from the chest up.
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Language
a lot
Profanity includes "ass," "hell," "son of a bitch," "s--t," and occasionally "f--k."
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a lot
Maddie's mom is in rehab, and Maddie tells stories of her mother often being drunk and unable to function. A teacher deals drugs. Xavier is caught getting ready to vape marijuana. There's mention of a bad acid trip as a possible cause of death. Teenagers drink alcohol at a high school homecoming dance.
See AlsoSpirit Untamed Movie ReviewSpirit: Stallion of the Cimarron Movie ReviewSpirited Movie ReviewCh. 8: The Whiskey RebellionDid you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Violence & Scariness
some
The story is based on a teenage girl's disappearance and assumed murder, which is discussed often. After Maddie's disappearance, someone writes "dog" on her missing sign at school. A gay character also references being tortured at school in the 1990s. It's revealed that a guidance counselor killed one of the dead students who's now a ghost at the school. Flashbacks to Maddie's death are dark and scary and there are some frightening moments with tense music, hooded figures, and characters who are in peril. Two boys get into a short fistfight. A person is run over by a car. A small amount of blood is occasionally shown but nothing graphic or gory. References a "cult initiation gone wrong" as a possible cause of death of a girl from the 1970s.
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Diverse Representations
some
Maddie and all of the other ghosts at the school are White. Her closest friends include an Asian boy, a Latina girl, and a Black girl, though none of them have a well-developed backstory. One of the main characters is a gay teenager who was bullied and has his own poignant storyline.
Did we miss something on diversity? .
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Positive Messages
a little
Themes of unconditional love as well as learning to forgive yourself for your mistakes and moving forward.
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Positive Role Models
a little
Maddie and her friends are supportive of each other's goals and aspirations. Maddie's friends care deeply that she's missing and fight to try to find her.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
School Spirits
- Parents say (5)
- Kids say (8)
age 14+
Based on 5 parent reviews
Zoe D. Parent of 13-year-old
October 26, 2024
age 14+
Should my child watch this?
It is sort of creepy and always ends on a cliff hanger. My daughter watched this with me and we love trying to solve it together. She is very mature so I allow her to but I would not let my 3 year old son watch it. That is kind of obvious. Your child should at least be 13 unless they are still not ready for shows that include talk of murder and people suggest sex. Overall, it is a good show but you need to also pay attention to the scenes just in case you need to fast-forward something. If you do not want your kid to hear about drugs do not watch this.
cw_510 Adult
December 18, 2023
age 14+
Good mystery for teens and up
I recently watched "School Spirits" on Netflix. It was a good show, good mystery that keeps you guessing. I think the show is good for high schoolers and up, as there are some references to sex and brief nudity in a shower scene (butt), swearing, and there are a few scenes of underaged drinking as well as Maddie's mother being an alcoholic. I would definitely recommend this show though, I couldn't look away, binging it all in a night!
See all 5 parent reviews
What's the Story?
In SCHOOL SPIRITS the ghost of a teenage girl, Maddie (Peyton List), watches as her friends try to solve the case of her disappearance. Joined by a teen boy who died in the 1990s, she soon finds even more peers when he invites her to join The Split River High Afterlife Support Group. As the school year marches on, Maddie comes closer and closer to finding out what happened to her.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (8):
An addictive teen thriller that's surprisingly heartfelt. With a cast of relatable and talented young actors, School Spirits manages to balance dark humor, teenage angst, and supernatural elements to create a murder mystery that will hold viewers' attention throughout its eight episodes. Ghostly teenage sidekicks from a variety of eras are also a clever twist on the solve-my-own-murder genre, and adults will appreciate some of their throwaway humor ("I'm still trying to figure out how Dances with Wolves won seven Academy Awards"). Anyone looking for a riveting teen drama with a supernatural twist should definitely give School Spirits a watch.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the scenes involving teenagers vaping and drinking alcohol. Discuss the negative consequences that would result from these choices. Why do you think none of them were presented on School Spirits?
Many thrillers and mysteries rely on the use of flashbacks like in School Spirits. Do you think they were used well in this series? Why or why not?
Did the show keep you guessing about what happened to Maddie? What techniques did the show use to keep viewers in suspense?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 9, 2023
- Cast : Peyton List, Milo Manheim, Kristian Flores
- Network : Paramount+
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : High School, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- TV rating : TV-MA
- Last updated : September 3, 2024
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
School Spirits
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