Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Suburban true crime features sexual situations.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Love & Death
What's the Story?
LOVE & DEATH retells the "true story" of Candy Montgomery, a woman who was accused of murdering her lover's wife with an ax in 1980. In the series, Candy (Elizabeth Olsen) becomes attracted to Allan (Jesse Plemons) after playing volleyball with him in a church league. The two have a carefully planned affair, which quickly goes off the rails.
Is It Any Good?
Though it flaunts its true-crime origins, this miniseries might work even better as a dark comedy. The best scenes in Love & Death tend to revolve around things like Candy and Allan making pros-and-cons lists about whether to have an affair. The show has a unique approach to familiar dramatic devices viewers tend to take for granted. It also turns the idea of true crime on its ear, substituting quirky suburban characters where there are typically sad or angry or complex participants. Watching how it gets to ax murder from there will be part of the fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the assertion, stated on the title card that "This is a true story." Why do you think they chose this story to tell? How close do you think the writers and actors are to what really happened? Is it actually possible to dramatize a true story? Why, or why not?
How is violence alluded to in Love & Death? Why is the violence important to the story? How do the scenes with blood in them change your perspective on the rest of the story?
How does this show create empathy for its characters? Who or what are you rooting for? How does this change over the course of the series?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 26, 2023
- Cast : Elizabeth Olsen , Jesse Plemons , Krysten Ritter
- Network : HBO
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 5, 2023
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