Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dramedy mixes cartoonish revenge and serious subjects.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Beef
What's the Story?
BEEF begins when Amy (Ali Wong) and Danny (Steven Yeun) narrowly avoid a car crash with one another. Danny chases Amy through the suburban streets, and she responds by nearly running him over before driving off. As each of them tries to navigate tumultuous times in their personal lives, they both fixate on the incident and slowly plot revenge.
Is It Any Good?
It's pretty thrilling to see a show with a premise straight out of Looney Tunes that nevertheless digs deep into subjects like depression and misplaced anger. Beef is ambitious but accessible. The writing is consistently sharp, and Wong and Yeun each give incredible performances that pivot between comedy and drama. Mostly, Beef feels very contemporary in a way that few shows do. The road rage incident could easily be a stand-in for online harassment or about a dozen other seemingly benign conflicts rooted in psychological pain. Beef is a perfect example of tackling big themes without sacrificing pure entertainment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about road rage. What is the catalyst incident in Beef? How does each character contribute to it? Is either character in the right? Why, or why not?
What are some examples of misdirected anger in Beef? How do the characters cope with stress? What are some other examples of misdirected anger in real life?
How do the main characters' support systems help or fail them? What are some examples? Are there times when friends and family unknowingly escalate the conflict? How might this have been avoided?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 6, 2023
- Cast : David Choe , Ali Wong , Steven Yeun
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Awards : Emmy - Emmy Award Winner , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner , NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : October 7, 2024
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