Harper's Island (CBS)

common sense media says

Unoriginal slasher show is far too gory for kids.


parents & educators say
  • 75% say violence is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this gory murder mystery series -- in which one character is killed per episode until the murderer is finaly revealed -- has a lot in common with big-screen slasher flicks and is only slightly toned down for television. It's bloody and violent (victims are disemboweled and more), there's plenty of drinking and sex, and the show has a pervasive feeling of gloom. It's not meant for younger viewers, and any kids who do watch will likely be scared silly.

Positive messages: In addition to revolving around the grim themes of murder and death, the show is filled with class resentments and simmering anger. For example, a working-class guy is about to marry a rich girl, and there's plenty of talk about the role of money in their relationship.
Positive role models: Most of the characters are one-note stereotypes ("good girl," etc.). One woman is revisiting the island where she grew up after a long
absence, leading to several emotional reunions and a few arguments with
people she hasn't seen in years. A child seems to have an unnatural
fixation with death.
Violence: Plenty of horror-film gore, muted only slightly to appear on television. For example, when a victim is being disemboweled, viewers see only his face -- but once he's clearly dead, the shot widens to show his bloody, dripping torso. There are also bar fights, some intense arguments, and lots of spooky imagery.
Sex: Characters are shown having sex, presumably naked and in bed -- though no sensitive body parts are visible. There's plenty of talk about sex and some suggestive comments. Female characters are sometimes shown in their underwear for no particular reason.
Language: Nothing bleeped, but audible language includes words like "damn," "hell," "ass," and "bastard."
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Lots of drinking -- in bars, at parties, and privately. The characters drink heavily and talk about whether they're drunk. Some characters also smoke cigars and pop pills.

More on Harper's Island

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about how this show is different from (and similar to) big-screen slasher tales. What parts are toned down for television? 
  • Do you think the changes detract from the story, or could today's extremely violent horror genre benefit from the "less-is-more" treatment used here?
  • What's the impact of seeing violent images in the media?

What's the story?

What's the story?
A festive wedding week on a secluded resort island goes haywire when a vicious killer begins to eliminate the guests, one gory murder at a time. Who's behind the deaths? Is it the rich father, trying to scuttle his daughter's impending union to working-class Henry Dunn (Christopher Gorham)? Or perhaps the bride's ex boyfriend, angry after their emotional breakup? And what about John Wakefield, the deranged maniac who went on a homicidal rampage seven years ago -- is he really dead? With a new murder in every episode, the list of victims gets longer as the roster of potential murderers is narrowed down.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

HARPER'S ISLAND is the kind of show that a second-year film student might deliver. It's competently done; that is, the scenes are set up efficiently, the atmosphere of gloom and spookiness comes through clearly, and the actors deliver the generic emotions required by their clichhd roles and the sometimes-stiff script.

But don't expect to see anything original. Just about everything here seems like a retread of so many tired slasher film plots. There's a scary backstory in the Wakefield killings. There are ominous -- and obvious -- tensions between the working class townies and the wealthy members of the wedding party (AKA the pool of potential victims). And the characters are completely generic, from the good girl to the flirt to the brooding loner and the creepy kid. The murders are convoluted, gory, and sometimes a bit pointless. Why bother with an especially clever death when the victim, tied to the bottom of a boat, is never found and never missed? That's a lot of work for this mysterious killer and does little to advance the plot. The show's only "value" is to shock viewers, but anyone watching has almost certainly seen it all before.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-14
Network: CBS
Cast: Christopher Gorham, Elaine Cassidy, Katie Cassidy
Genre: Drama
Where to watch: CBS

This review was written by Will Wade
 
 

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What parents & educators say

14
Based on 4 parent & educator reviews:
  • 75% say violence is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

4rubies
adult
 
Older teens, but not under
While the "mini-season" mystery is addicting, especially if you like mysteries, it is extremely violent, The show is good about exploring about what makes each character 'tick', but in the process the audience is also exposed to excessive amounts of drinking, sex, language abuse, adultery, cheating, and of course, murder, murder, and more murder in the goriest sense. There are those characters that stick with each other no matter what and grow stronger and get even closer (some of them even seem to become better people) in spite of the terror they are facing. Even though this is a captivating series, the end result is about death and the answer to a mystery and very few will be left alive. While it's sometimes simpler to filter out the fiction of murder & mayhem from these types of shows, the daily reality of the drinking, sex, smoking, cheating friends, adultery, and so on is something totally different....especially when it's portrayed by such appealing characters.

 
Harper's Island
This slasher TV serie is very good. It has infrequent very strong gory violence. Some of the traps/death scenes might frighten young viewers. Sex and other stuff is pretty moderate This should be intended to show for mature audiences over the age of 16 no one under shouldn't be allowed in my opinion. Great series own the dvd boxset

Brittany Bieber
teen, 13 years old
 
ok but scary and gory and sad
it was ok i saw it last year and it was pretty scary and the last few episiods were really sad and every episiod was gross this show really creeped me out but it was still ok

izzielizzie9
teen, 14 years old
 
One of my favorite shows
this is one of my favorite shows, even better than happy town, and i wish it had gone longer.

janieohman
teen, 17 years old
 
amazing show!
i'm fifteen, but watched the show when i was thirteen. it was my absolute favorite show, i wouldn't dare miss it. i was so sad when it was over. it was extremmely violent, and very gorey. and pretty much a horror movie, cut itno hour long shows. i found it particulary scary in some episodes, sand others didn't phase me ay all. it does get much more scary toward theend of the season. and one episode was sad, and brought tears to my eyes. i'm not sure how parents would feel about it, but i think twleve year olds could handle it, there's nothing traumatixing in to. i would recomend it to anybody about twleve that likes horror movies, it's an amazing show.

kmichael97
parent of 19 year old
 
good show
Im 12 and saw this show and iit is amazing! i love it but i found some of it disturbing. like a woman was lit on fire and burned to death. Another man was i think nailed into a tree. One man put a slaughtered deer on the hood of a car. and one person discovered a severed deer head in a bath tub w/ a trail of blood following behind it.

musicbuddy863
teen, 15 years old
 
Great amazing SHOW!
Awesome show...a little gory but it's ok for like 13 year olds probably...there are bad role models because people kill people.

Bindydog
teen, 15 years old
 
I love this show so much! Best show ever! Great!

J-dog21
teen, 16 years old
 
Favorite show...eva
Great murder mystery, just a litttle violent

ACDude800
teen, 18 years old
 
Meh.
This mystery series takes some time to get going since its early episodes are more slasher than mystery, but when the mystery kicks in during Episode 5, it's a great ride. However, around Episode 11, it devolves back into slasher territory and never recovers. Okay for mystery fans, but slasher fans (which I am not) will eat it up. Violence is somewhere between PG-13 and R; a little sexual content (including some disturbing sexual themes introduced in the last episode); little profanity.

Sbglulu
kid, 13 years old
 
IM TEN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!! IT IS AN AWESOME MINI SERIES!

armygirl0
teen, 16 years old
 
I absolutely love this series. I will say that it is very gory, but if you want suspense, this is definitely for you. And there actually is some good stuff about love in it. When the guys are always trying to protect their girlfriends/fiances, and the other girls when they finally know what's going on, and when, later in the series, one of the girls dies for her fiance. I'm actually 13, and I do admit that sometimes this series makes me flinch. But there is alot more to it than just blood, gore, and sex.

Lovett
adult
 
Great mini series
I actually really liked this mini series sure it's a bit cheesy but it's pretty original I've never seen a slasher series before.It's kind of violent not to bad.It all depends on the parents.

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