Parents' Guide to Exploding Kittens

TV Netflix Comedy 2024
Exploding Kittens TV show poster - A white and black cat face off; one sits above a pentagram.

Common Sense Media Review

Polly Conway By Polly Conway , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Irreverent game-based comedy has violence, salty language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 13+

Based on 11 parent reviews

age 13+

Based on 15 kid reviews

Kids say the show is humorous and offers a unique plot, but there are significant concerns regarding its content, including graphic violence, sexual innuendos, and strong language that might not be suitable for younger audiences. While some believe it could be appropriate for teens, others recommend it only for mature viewers due to its explicit material, suggesting a disconnect between its content and its perceived target age group.

  • funny humor
  • graphic violence
  • inappropriate content
  • mixed recommendations
Summarized with AI

What's the Story?

When God (Tom Ellis) gets audited by the board of Heaven, he's sent down to Earth to relearn how to rule with more empathy. His earthly form: a cat. His task: help the Higgins family, who supposedly have prayed for his help. Godcat is pretty much welcomed as the newest Higgins, a family who loves each other but doesn't have much in common. There's mom Abbie (Suzy Nakamura), a rough-and-tumble animal control pro with a penchant for booze. Dad Marv (Mark Prosch, What We Do in the Shadows) is a classic tabletop gamer, who's even invented his own game. Son Travis is just hoping to get a bigger YouTube audience, and daughter Greta is super into school. Godcat's solution for Higgins family bonding? Shrink them down and let them battle it out in Marv's exquisitely designed game. Will Godcat make it back to Heaven? Not if the Devil has anything to do with it. (The Devil? Also a cat.)

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 11 ):
Kids say ( 15 ):

This solid series takes its laughs as seriously as its game mechanics, which is to say, it's pretty funny. Better than a show based on a card game has any right to be, Exploding Kittens introduces a fun new family akin to Bob's Burgers' Belchers, and Ellis isn't to be missed as the haughty but hapless Godcat, whose new position on Earth takes him down quite a few notches, to viewers' delight.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the Higgins family. How are they similar to your own? How are they different?

  • How does God learn a little humility during his time as a cat? Why do you think this is an important character strength?

TV Details

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Exploding Kittens TV show poster - A white and black cat face off; one sits above a pentagram.

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