Parents' Guide to

House of Cards

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Compelling take on politics plays up sex, drugs, scheming.

TV Netflix Drama 2013
House of Cards Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 11 parent reviews

Alan M.
Alan M. Adult
March 6, 2018
age 16+

Politics Is The Game

House of Cards stars one of the best Actors of all time, Kevin Spacey so lets put it this way. You don't have to be interested in politics to watch it. Its more about corruption and Revenge. The show features some dark themes such as domestic abuse, rape, murder, terrorism countless other adult themes. To Tell you the truth it shouldn't really matter what age your kids are as long they understand what is going on. This TV Series is much watch for anyone wanting to study film and TV. I Personally watched it to understand Cinematography and great actor performances and how editing is used to portray danger and other forms of suspense. Just watch it. Kevin spacey is just amazing. and Scary at times. Don't let his personal life get in the way of his performance. I Personally never judge an actor by their personal lives. If They can act they can act.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Can K.
Can K. Adult
November 1, 2017
age 13+

Extremely overrated drama is only for teens

This show has language and sexual content in it but it's nothing at 13 year old couldn't handle
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When he's passed up for the top cabinet post he was promised, powerful Minority Whip Rep. Francis "Frank" Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his wife (Robin Wright) launch a revenge scheme of Machiavellian proportions against the president (Michael Gill) and his unsuspecting underlings. But carrying out his plan to topple them all like a HOUSE OF CARDS requires help from an eager young reporter (Kate Mara), who's just hungry enough to take the bait.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11):
Kids say (26):

Hardcore Netflix users might already know that House of Cards is based on the BBC miniseries of the same name (which, in turn, was based on a novel by British politician Michael Dobbs). But while the British series centered on Conservative Party politics in the post-Margaret Thatcher era, the U.S. version transplants the action to modern-day Washington, D.C., during the term of a Democratic president.

So what's the verdict? With its second original series (the first being Lilyhammer), streaming content provider Netflix delivers an effectively addictive political drama with movie-quality storytelling and A-list casting. (Not to mention A-list director/producer chops, thanks to the presence of The Social Network's David Fincher.) The series' exclusivity to Netflix subscribers means it's not easily available to a broader audience. But in our opinion, it's compelling enough to deserve one.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about House of Cards' take on national politics. Is it positive, negative, or somewhere in between? How close do you think it comes to portraying the way things really get done in Washington?

  • What role does the media play in American politics? Do you think it plays too big of a role? How has the rise of various technologies -- from television to Twitter -- affected the way we pick and choose our politicians?

  • How does House of Cards compare to the tone of other shows set in Washington, including Veep, 1600 Penn, and The West Wing?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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