Just Beyond
By Ashley Moulton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Psychological spookiness that's OK for most tweens.
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Just Beyond
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Based on 1 parent review
Amazing yet scary
What's the Story?
Just Beyond is a series based on R.L. Stine's (Goosebumps) graphic novel series of the same name. Instead of relying on otherworldly creatures to scare tweens, it instead has storylines that seem "just beyond" normal life. The series is an anthology where each episode's plot is unconnected to the rest, but the common thread is that each of the protagonists is a high schooler navigating different coming-of-age challenges. One episode features an activist teen being send to Miss Genevieve's School for Difficult Girls, which she quickly learns is a school full of girls who have been brainwashed by the headmaster (played by SNL's Nasim Pedrad). Another follows a teen witch trying to blend in at her high school, and another tells the story of a teen who's haunted by a mysterious masked figure. Throughout all the paranormal weirdness, episodes also tackle more earthly problems like divorce, loss of a parent, bullying, and teenage crushes.
Is It Any Good?
Fans of R.L. Stine's books will love this compellingly creepy series. There are enough scares to be thrilling to tweens, but they (likely) won't continue haunting them after they turn off the show. Each episode in the anthology is more like a mini-movie with fully developed worlds and characters. Tweens will be intereseted in this glimpse into high school life. While there's the added layer of the Twilight Zone-esque weirdness, the characters are also navigating real problems all kids face growing up. Tweens who like being a little spooked will enjoy Just Beyond, and the well-done stories make this a great family viewing candidate too.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how scary the episode was. What does the show do to try to scare you? Is it more or less scary that the villains aren't over-the-top monsters and that the stories almost feel like real life? Did it seem the right amount of scary to you?
Many of the episodes are about changes kids experience when they start to grow up into teenagers. Do any of these changes worry you?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 13, 2021
- Cast: Nasim Pedrad , McKenna Grace , Gabriel Bateman
- Network: Disney+
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Adventures , Book Characters , High School , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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