School Spirits tells the story of 16-year-old Maddie, a recent murder victim, who finds herself trapped in an afterlife support group made up of other students from the past century at her school. Unlike the others, Maddie is the only one who can still communicate with the living, and she uses this unique ability to investigate her own death. It sounds perfect for spooky season, but what’s the School Spirits age rating? This Paramount+ original series, now available on Netflix, has just been renewed for a second season. Check out our review to find out if School Spirits is appropriate for kids.
The TV Parental Guidelines rating for School Spirits is TV-MA. This category is used for content that is suitable for mature audiences of 17 and older. However, Common Sense Media states that School Spirits is appropriate for kids 14 and older. This disparity means that you’ll want to check out the show yourself to see if it’s appropriate for your teen.
School Spirits has some profanity, including the words ass, son-of-a-bitch, sh*t, and the occasional f-bomb. All in all, though, the language is not shocking for a show set in high school.
There is sex and nudity in School Spirits, but it’s overall pretty tame. Naked butts are shown in the school shower, as well as implied frontal nudity when a boy is shown showering — but only from the chest up. Teen couples kiss and make out, and a boy starts to unzip a girl’s pants, but the encounter goes no further. There are references to sexual activity, as well as characters making plans to have sex. Sexting does happen, but there’s nothing explicit shown on screen.
Given the premise of the show, it should come as no surprise that violence is central to the plot of School Spirits. However, the actual violence shown on screen is relatively mild.
Maddie does have frequent flashbacks to her murder scene, which can be pretty scary. Some blood is shown, as well as physical fights, but nothing too graphic or gory. The kids in the support group have some dark tales to tell about their own deaths, including a gay character’s torture during the ‘90s and a ‘70s “cult initiation gone wrong.”
School Spirits features a fair amount of substance use by both teens and adults. For example, a teacher deals drugs, a student is caught preparing to vape marijuana, and one cause of death in the support group is thought to be a bad acid trip. Maddie’s mom is also in rehab, and Maddie recalls her frequently being too drunk to function. Underage drinking isn’t too prevalent, but teens do consume alcohol at a school dance.
It’s always a good idea for parents to stay informed on what content their child is watching, and the popular TV series School Spirits is no exception. Parents should take into consideration the show’s ratings and content, as well as their child’s maturity level when making viewing decisions.
If you’re concerned about what your child may be viewing, BrightCanary can help you supervise what they’re watching and other online activities. School Spirits is available on Paramount+ and Netflix, which BrightCanary doesn’t cover. However, with BrightCanary monitoring, you’ll be able to see if your child is looking up content related to the show — and anything else concerning — on YouTube, Google, text messages, or social media. It’s a great way to get insights into what media your children are interested in, so you can get ahead of any potential red flags. Start your free trial today.
