Parents' Guide to

Mozart in the Jungle

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Sex, drugs, and classical music in mature online series.

TV Amazon Prime Video Drama 2014
Mozart in the Jungle 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 17+

Based on 3 parent reviews

cbcummings
cbcummings Adult
July 17, 2020
age 15+

Mozart in the Jungle is a good education for teens and above looking to venture into a career in the performing arts workd

Mozart in the Jungle is very eye-opening, loosely based on the book with the same title, about the situations and personalities encountered in the world of professional musicianship. It is full of egos, full of competition (and therefore conniving characters), full of temptation (sex and drugs, which entice not everyone, but definitely a potential pitfall), and full of disappointment and rejection (except for the lucky few). I think any high schooler contemplating a career as a musician or performer should watch this show. Not everyone will have the breadth of experiences depicted in the 4 seasons of this show, but behind every diva and salty exterior is always a real human, and the show manages to capture the humanity of almost every character in the show.

This title has:

Too much swearing
S L.
S L. Adult
February 2, 2018
age 17+

Sex scenes not fit for children

10 minutes into the first episode there are multiple brief sex scenes as she describes how different musicians have sex. Children learning to respect their bodies and the importance/value of sex within a marriage, and healthy sexual relationships should not be exposed to such filth; no story is worth that in my opinion. I would consider this NC-17 at best. Just because sex is becoming more common and "accepted" amongst teens these days, doesn't mean it should be accepted as "ok" and shared with kids. Personally, I won't be watching it myself either.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on the titillating memoir of the same name by Blair Tindall, MOZART IN THE JUNGLE follows an assortment of classical music artists working in New York City, centering on talented young oboist Hailey (Lola Kirke) and her interactions with a variety of big-name players. While Hailey navigates the ins and outs of getting hired, the city's storied symphony is undergoing changes of its own with the retirement of the seasoned maestro (Malcolm McDowell) and the arrival of his replacement, a hot young conductor (Gael Garcia Bernal).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Mozart in the Jungle isn't the only original series from Amazon Studios to harness the power of established stars (see also: Transparent), but its credentialed cast is certainly impressive and exciting, from McDowell and Bernal, who play the dueling maestros in a battle of then vs. now, to Tony winner Bernadette Peters, who plays the chair of the symphony board -- not to mention Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Alex Timbers, who penned the script. Several well-known classical musicians make cameos, too, making Mozart feel a little like Smash with a highbrow twist.

But, much like Smash, which drew a small but loyal audience of Broadway fans before it was ultimately canceled, Mozart might suffer from limited appeal, even in spite of its attempts to spice up classical music's stuffy image with sex and drugs aplenty. For consenting adults, there's enough here to like, but, for impressionable teens -- particularly those with aspirations to play music professionally -- Mozart roundly sets the wrong tone.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about classical music stereotypes and how Mozart in the Jungle often shatters them. How much of what you're seeing is based on fact, and how much has been sensationalized for TV? Does the show help or hurt classical music's image?

  • How does the televised version of Mozart in the Jungle compare to the memoir that inspired it? What changes were made, and do you think they were necessary?

  • Does the fact that Mozart in the Jungle airs on Amazon allow it to take more liberties in terms of content than traditional television shows? How has the advent of on-demand, original content changed the television landscape?

TV Details

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