Parents' Guide to I'm Not Afraid

TV Netflix Drama 2026
I'm Not Afraid TV show poster: a young Mexican boy looks out from behind a plant

Common Sense Media Review

Martin Brown By Martin Brown , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Children in peril in Mexican coming-of-age story.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

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Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

I'M NOT AFRAID based on the 2001 book I'm Not Scared by Italian writer Niccolò Ammaniti and takes place in Mexico during the 1986 World Cup. Ten-year-old Miguel (Aldo Emiliano Navarro) learns of a mysterious building where a people-eating witch lives. Egged on by his friends, Miguel explores the house and grounds only to discover something scarier than he could have ever imagined.

Is It Any Good?

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

This show's description makes it seem like a Mexican Stranger Things, where a group of neighborhood kids discover the supernatural living among them. But I'm Not Afraid tells a coming-of-age story, in which the kids discover that their real community history is stranger and more complex than anything their imagination could conjure. Weaving together bits of local and global history (like Maradona's "Hand of God" 1986 World Cup goal), the series tells a powerful story about a young boy thrust into early adulthood and the harrowing series of events that lead him there.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the mysteries. What do we know about this community? What is the history? What is the lore? How does your view of the community change over the course of the story?

  • Whose story is this? Whose point of view is it told through? What kind of experience does this give the viewer?

  • Why is this story told in the 1980s? How does it interweave real world events? What does the series say about Mexico and Mexican culture in the 1980s?

  • Why do you think the creators chose to tell this story now? Are there any parallels with our contemporary culture? What does it make you think about in your life?

TV Details

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I'm Not Afraid TV show poster: a young Mexican boy looks out from behind a plant

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