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Parents' Guide to

Cracow Monsters

By Jenny Nixon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Folklore-inspired horror has sex, drugs, and monsters.

TV Drama 2022
Poster art for the Horror-Suspense series Cracow Monsters on Netflix. A white woman with chin-length dark blonde hair and an overcoat stands alone in a patch of light on an otherwise dark background. The hardwood floor beneath her is covered in mysterious scrawled symbols.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • A white woman with chin-length blonde hair is pictured from the shoulders up, she is sitting with her eyes closed. A second person stands behind her, only seen from shoulders down. Her right arm rests over the blonde woman's right shoulder.
  • A menacing supernatural creature with a large skull and glowing chest peers out of the dark baring its teeth. with
  • A man in his 20s with brow hair and light facial hair is pictured from the shoulders up, he is wearing a dark, tattered sweater and is looking at something off-camera with a concerned look in his eyes.
  • A glowing, silvery-white humanoid creature with a bald head and silver eyes is pictured from the shoulders up, unclothed and with a blank expression.
  • A trio of female college students stand in a dark basement-type room. Their professor wears a green lab coat. They stand around the large body of an unidentifiable creature.

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What's the Story?

CRACOW MONSTERS follows the misadventures of Alex Walas (Barbara Liberek), a depressed college student haunted by painful childhood memories, who tries to drown them out with hard drinking and casual sex. Her concerned roomie, a psychology student, urges her to seek therapy for her recurrent nightmares and monster-filled visions. Alex instead finds herself entangled with a cult-like group of classmates who all seem to have some type of mythical ability, from mind-reading to soothsaying. Led by the enigmatic Professor Zadawski (Andrzej Chyra), the team works to uncover the roots of a demon infestation in Cracow and to determine how Alex's mysterious past fits into it all.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

A thriller based on obscure Slavic folklore is an appealingly unique prospect, but the sluggish pace and one-note tone really take the super out of the supernatural. Cracow Monsters is full of overly-familiar characters we've seen before in this genre -- the sarcastic bad girl, the spooky twins, the creepy little kid -- and the students even head out on their occult investigations in a yellow van à la "those meddling kids" from Scooby-Doo.

This could all be overlooked if there were actual thrills to be had. Some creature designs are impressive, but the special effects are very scattershot. One episode might feature a larger-than-life monster you can practically smell, while the next looks like cheap Charmed-level CGI from the '90s. Hardcore horror fiends will likely find this series a mixed bag, but it may hold the attention of more casual viewers who enjoy jump scares and soapy storylines.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about similar horror movies and TV shows that feature Scooby Gang-like friend groups investigating mysterious supernatural happenings. What are some of your faves?

  • Cracow Monsters draws inspiration from traditional Polish folklore. Can you think of any stories or legends about spooky creatures from your own culture?

TV Details

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