Parents' Guide to Alex Rider

Alex Rider TV show: Poster

Common Sense Media Review

Stephanie Snyder By Stephanie Snyder , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Adaptation of YA spy thriller novels has violence, drinking.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 15+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 13+

Based on 7 kid reviews

What's the Story?

ALEX RIDER is a typical teenage boy. He gets into mischief with his best friend. He has a crush. He's punished by his uncle, who's his caretaker. But when his uncle mysteriously dies, he doesn't believe what the authorities tell him. He takes matters into his own hands and uncovers a disturbing truth -- one that drastically changes his life and pushes him to tap into talents and skillsets he didn't realize he had.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 3 ):
Kids say ( 7 ):

This teenage spy thriller has solid acting and enough suspense for adults to easily get into, making it suitable for family viewing. Alex Rider takes an intense storyline and makes it realistic and relatable. Otto Farrant's depiction of the spy teen is compelling – his emotion and tenacity lift Alex Rider off the pages of the YA series and stir viewers to root for his success. Though the plot is a bit of a stretch from the lives of the average teen, the series shows young people what they are capable of and communicates that there's purpose in their youthful existence.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about integrity in Alex Rider. Do you think Alex shows integrity as he pursues answers to his uncle's death? Is it OK for spies and people in other professions to bend the rules to get results? Why or why not?

  • What makes Alex a likable character? How is he a flawed character?

  • Have you read the Alex Rider books? Do you prefer the books or the TV series? Why?

TV Details

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Alex Rider TV show: Poster

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