Parents' Guide to Lazarus

TV Prime Video Drama 2025
Poster art for Lazarus features a moody portrait of stars Sam Clafin and Bill Nighy, with a smaller inset photo of Clafin sitting in a leather chair

Common Sense Media Review

Jenny Nixon By Jenny Nixon , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Sluggish supernatural thriller has violence, drinking.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Lazarus Trailer
  • Joel "Laz" Lazarus is shown holding a brown folder to his chest as he stares out a window with a glum expression on his face
  • Laz and Seth look at each other while walking through an outdoor night market
  • Dr. Jonathan Lazarus stands facing his son Joel, hand resting on his shoulder, in front of the desk in his moodily-lit Art Deco-style office

Parent and Kid Reviews

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What's the Story?

LAZARUS is a supernatural-tinged British mystery series centered on forensic psychiatrist Joel Lazarus (Sam Claflin), who is haunted by memories of discovering his murdered twin sister's body in 1998. In the present day, Joel -- known as "Laz" to his friends -- learns that his father, Dr. Jonathan Lazarus (Bill Nighy), also a psychiatrist, has been found dead in an apparent suicide. As Laz grapples with shock and grief, he experiences disturbing visions and encounters with his father's former patients -- people who have long been dead. Convinced these hallucinations are tied to the tragedies in his own family, Laz teams up with his childhood friend Seth, now a police officer, and delves into his father's clinical archives to uncover the truth.

Is It Any Good?

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

Combining a murder mystery with supernatural elements can absolutely work if done well. Unfortunately, Lazarus is marred by overwrought performances, a sluggish pace, and implausible plotlines. Sam Claflin spends most of the six-episode run shouting and acting hysterical, pulling stunts that would get him arrested by any real law enforcement -- yet here, officers calmly assist him to keep the story moving. The episode structure grows repetitive, with Laz's encounters with his father's deceased patients becoming tiresome far too quickly. Even the musical cues -- covers of "Where Is My Mind?" and "Windmills of Your Mind" used over and over -- feel like painfully clichéd choices for a show about an unstable psychiatrist. Despite an intriguing premise and strong cast, Lazarus ultimately collapses under the weight of its own melodrama.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about unsolved mysteries as a recurring theme in drama series and films. What makes these types of stories compelling?

  • How do you feel about how this series combines traditional crime drama elements with the supernatural? Was the use of "ghosts" and visions effective, or would you have preferred a more straightforward approach to storytelling?

TV Details

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Poster art for Lazarus features a moody portrait of stars Sam Clafin and Bill Nighy, with a smaller inset photo of Clafin sitting in a leather chair

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