Parent reviews for Hannibal

The show and story line are very good, and very entertaining. The show is honestly really well done, however there's a lot of more mature themes of like psychological manipulation and stuff like that, which isn't too scary, but still could be disturbing for younger teens. The biggest deterrent for watching this show is definitely the magnitude and sheer amount of graphic gore. Like, they don't hide a n y t h i n g, and that's about all I can say without spoilers. This show made me go vegetarian for a bit and I cannot eat any kind of pork now. Anyway, 10/10 interesting plot. :)

It is extremely well acted, very well scripted, masterfully well directed, and a decidedly disturbing look into the minds of serial killers and the individuals that are able to track them down. Definitely Not for children, or even teens. NC-17 for real. It shows how even being brave enough to put a stop to these killers, changes your life for the worse psychologically speaking. I say its NC-17 because some of these episodes literally gave me haunting nightmares for a few days after watching they are so gruesomely realistic and disturbing . I do not recommend binge watching this show because of the unsettling nature of the story. It also kind of depicts how serial killers seem to have this respect for each others work, like artists would. =/ **Recommend watching episodes in Small Doses.** As great and as brillant as it is, unfortunately, I had to stop watching it because of how it seeps nightmarish scenes into my dreams.

One of my personal favourite all time series but very graphic and possibly psychologically scaring for underaged viewers. This show has a strong enough effect on me to frequently infiltrate my dreams.

This show is fantastic, very well done. It is however very gory and the gore is detailed and realistic which can be difficult to stomach, the gore however is only one part of the show if needed scared viewers can cover their eyes and still be able to enjoy and follow the plot. I would not recommend allowing your children to watch this, or at least not without ample warning and supervision.

Unfortunately very violent and gruesome. I would not recommend for anybody who can’t stomach the food aspects of the show as episodes are labeled with specific dishes or style of cooking as Hannibal eats away into his victims. Like somebody else said it isn’t for the faint hearted and not suitable for any children or even teenagers. Dexter as a series is much more cartoonish fun and has its moments but Hannibal is only ever disturbing and dark.

I don't understand how the common sense reviewer could give this a 16+ This is in a few words the most disturbing television show I've ever seen. It's far more gruesome than the movies that preceded it and those are all hard R's. It is consistently dark from beginning to end and the heroes, such as they are, are weak of mind and spirit. There is no hope for anybody, and there are times when Hannibal Lecter, who is by no means a Dexter kind of serial killer, can seem the most hopeful character on screen. It's a good series. It makes you consider issues from strange perspectives, but they aren't perspectives kids should ever have to know about.

Considering its macabre and dark themes, this is no show for kids. Moreover, the depth and nuance require a developed mind to fully appreciate it. Not only is it visually stunning, but the show's arcs and dialogue lend itself to being an analysis of art and aestheticism itself, exploring questions like "what is beauty?" in addition to being an engaging analysis of human psychology. It's grand and poetic -- arguably on par with the likes of The Picture of Dorian Gray and Paradise Lost.

From beginning to end, "Hannibal" is a dark, compelling, dark, thrilling, dark, and fascinating show. The show masterfully adapts the source material ( books/movies "Red Dragon", "Hannibal", and a little "The Silence of the Lambs") and blends it into a fresh presentation. The core storyline that stretches across all 39 episodes is that of the complicated and twisted relationship between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter. The first season and the first half of the second season show this mostly in the context of insane weekly murders, while the latter half of the second season and the third season pull more from the aforementioned source material. I think the show enters into excellence in the second half of the second season and ends in true greatness. PARENTS NEED TO KNOW This is an EXCEEDINGLY gruesome show. Creatively and extremely gruesome. Expect to see plenty of blood, gore, and hideously flayed skin--as well as human organs being prepared in Hannibal's kitchen. Cannibalism (intentional as well as unknowing) is very common, and forced autocannibalism shows up at times. Several people are burned to death or almost to death. One vile character is drugged by another vile character and manipulated to cut off pieces of his own face and feed them to a group of dogs--shown onscreen, albeit in dim lighting. Yet somehow, even this horrific scene and others are portrayed artfully. (That doesn't make them any less horrific, just more impressive.) Also, children/teenagers are not safe from danger or death. This show is also extremely dark through and through. Murder, malice, and manipulation drive most of the storylines. Hannibal is evil and manipulative of everyone; Will becomes more like Hannibal as the series progresses. No major character is really a good role model by the time the show (or his/her life) ends. A few secondary characters could be mostly good role models. Language and sex are present but mild, especially in light of the violence. The show got a laughable TV-14 rating simply because it's light on the language and sex; the violence and gore DEFINITELY should have earned it a TV-MA rating. It is far more gruesome than the movies "The Silence of the Lambs", "Hannibal", or "Red Dragon." Drugs aren't a problem. There is some moderate alcohol consumption and some smoking. One scene shows a woman with cancer and her husband briefly sharing her medicinal marijuana. IS IT ANY GOOD? "Hannibal" is not an entertaining show, nor is it appropriate for children of any age. Many adults will likely find it repulsive on several accounts, and perhaps even slow-paced and brooding. However, people who are familiar with the source material (like me) will enjoy how the show both honors and twists the original storylines into a fresh and psychologically enthralling saga while adding plenty of its own substance. Those who aren't familiar with the source material will find a very...unique and interesting viewing experience. "Hannibal" is a wonderfully intellectual and artistic experience for anyone who can stomach the extreme gore, pitch-black subject matter, and heavy atmosphere. I give the first season and a half 4 stars, and the latter season and a half 5 stars. So 4.5 stars overall; rounded up to 5 because it ends awesomely. As of the writing of this review, all three seasons of "Hannibal" are included for free on Amazon Prime and have been for several years.

This show is absolutely brilliant. It is beautiful, emotional, but so deeply disturbing and dark. A lot of people might say "oh but it's nothing my kids haven't seen" and that is where I have to qualify that statement. Yes a lot of children might have seen very violent things in shows that are much more child friendly, however this is not the same. The warning on Netflix sums it up best. "Contains strong, sadistic violence" and it's not wrong. Every episode "in series 1 at least, still watching it" starts with a murder. The main character then puts himself in the killers shoes, reliving the horrible acts, making notes on what the killers "design" is. The violence is beautiful but horrifying and made even worse by the fact you see the horror in the victims face compared to the blank emotion shown by the main character. This show is a must watch, however make sure not to have small children around