Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this riveting docudrama series tells real-life horror stories through dramatizations and interviews. Stories involve near-death experiences like being seriously injured, trapped, or attacked by an animal. The emotional intensity of the tales, including discussion of never seeing one's family again, might be too much for the youngest viewers.
Families can discuss making choices under difficult circumstances. Would kids have made the same choices as the people in the show? How do your decisions change when you're under extreme stress? If you were physically hurt, how would you keep your mind off your pain? What do you think people learn from experiences like these?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Sierra Filucci
In this gripping docudrama series, people tell stories of survival almost too incredible to believe. Through a combination of dramatizations and interviews with actual participants, I SHOULDN'T BE ALIVE recreates near-death experiences like a shark encounter, a kidnapping, and a mountain climbing expedition gone very wrong.
The survivors' stories are so compelling that they overshadow the intrinsically corny dramatizations. Hearing the real people recount their experience, their voices full with emotion and disbelief, is enough to keep viewers glued to the set, eyes wide and hearts beating fast.
One episode tells the story of two brothers whose hike in the Utah canyons turns into a complete nightmare. A combination of mistakes and unexpected natural obstacles turns the day hike into 72 hours of hell. When one brother accidentally lets go of the other's hand, he falls into freezing water and shatters his shin bone. As the other brother attempts to climb out of the canyon for help, he battles darkness, icy water, fire, exhaustion, and guilt. All the while the injured brother fights frostbite, pain, and delerium while repeating his four children's names and birthdates to stay awake and maintain hope.
Both the reenactments and the photos from the real incidents can be grizzly. In the Utah hiking accident, we see the actor fall into the water and scream out in pain as he hits the ground. A computer generated picture details the injury, showing viewers where the breaks occurred and what happened as a result. Later in the story, we see real photos of the brother's leg while he's hospitalized, including gory cuts and blood.
The emotional intensity may be too much for young children to handle, but depending on their sensitivity, tweens and teens may enjoy watching. The show is an option for families looking for something to watch together that's both exciting and devoid of sex, drugs, and guns.
Fans might also enjoy Man vs. Wild and Everest: Beyond the Limit
Rate It!
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ViolenceDramatized scenes of intense injuries, accidents, and occasional threats by people or animals. Some images of real-life injuries. |
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LanguageOccasional "hell" or "damn." |
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Social BehaviorPeople are shown making mistakes, like not using safety equipment, but the consequences are obvious. |
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CommercialismSome brands or logos visible, like outdoor clothing insignias or vehicle names. |
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