Parents' Guide to

On Becoming a God in Central Florida

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Superb dark comedy about pyramid scheme has cursing.

TV Showtime Comedy 2019
On Becoming a God in Central Florida Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • Becoming a God in Central Florida TV Show: Krystal is a struggling mom.
  • Becoming a God in Central Florida TV Show: Travis gearing up for a program pitch.
  • Becoming a God in Central Florida TV Show: Selling products.
  • Becoming a God in Central Florida TV Show: Cody talks to Krystal.

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

sergeantbarnes
sergeantbarnes Adult
March 29, 2020
age 17+

Common Sense Expert review was totally off

Was watching this with my dad and younger sister. I checked Common Sense before to make sure there were no graphic sex depictions. Their rating on the sex was totally off. It says “occasional innuendos.” If you get more than 4 episodes in, there is quite a bit more than that. Otherwise, there’s a lot of violence and blood, but if you’re used to that it’s not a problem.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
swoosh8603td
swoosh8603td Adult
September 2, 2019
age 16+

This title has:

Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

ON BECOMING GOD IN CENTRAL FLORIDA is a dramatic comedy about a minimum-wage water park employee doing what she can to build a better life. It's the 1990s, and Krystal Stubbs (Kirsten Dunst) and her husband Travis (Alexander Skarsgard) are a working class couple trying to make ends meet. When they get caught up in a pyramid scheme with Founders American Merchandise (FAM), led in their region by the the irrepressible Cody (Théodore Pellerin), they begin spiraling into financial ruin. But an unexpected turn of events drives Krystal to do what she has to do in order to push her way up through FAM's ranks, affecting everyone around her.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

Kirsten Dunst and Alexander Skarsgard give superb performances in this outstanding dark comedy, which shows the lengths to which some will go to reach their version of the American dream. It's also a funny look into the world of pyramid schemes and multi-level marketing ventures, while simultaneously reminding us of how people fall prey to these types of programs. Travis' desire for greater material wealth is what makes him easily susceptible, which makes Krystal's initial distrust appear more pragmatic, even as she ultimately chooses to fight her way towards financial success in the same get-rich program that set them up for failure. But even if you're not sure how to feel about her choices, On Becoming a God in Central Florida is certainly entertaining.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about pyramid schemes. What exactly are they? Do people really profit from them?

  • What are the different ways that financial success is defined On Becoming a God in Central Florida? Is it about being able to live without worrying about affording the basic things? About having nice houses and cars? About having your own company? Does it seem to matter how you reach those goals?

TV Details

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