Paradise Lost
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Paradise Lost is a drama series about a man who returns to his Southern family after being away for many years. Yates Forsythe (Josh Hartnett) is called back to his family home in Mississippi by his father, Judge Forsythe, played by Nick Nolte. Being back home has its perks, but Yates also is forced to reckon with a mysterious crime from the past that the rest of the town hasn't forgotten. Characters have sex in bed, but no nudity is shown. Profanity includes "f--k," "s--t," "bitch," "p---y."
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What's the story?
In PARADISE LOST, Yates Forsythe (Josh Hartnett) is called back to his family home in Mississippi by his father, Judge Forsythe. Being back home has its perks; his wife Frances is able to set up her psychiatry practice and they have a beautiful home, but Yates also is now forced to reckon with a mysterious crime from the past that the rest of the town hasn't forgotten, especially Frances' patient Boyd Sutree, whose visions may be based on something real.
Is it any good?
This southern-fried mystery pulls out all the stops of the genre (whiskey on the plantation house verandah, hunting, gators, and the like), but the end result doesn't hold a candle to its clear inspirations. Tennessee Williams and Elmore Leonard were able to tell specifically southern stories with heart and intrigue, and even Sharp Objects, with which Paradise Lost shares a lot of parallels, combined traditional vibes with modern troubles in a more authentic way. Hartnett is still charming, but it's the supporting characters that truly carry the weight, especially the troubled Sutree, who seems to hold the key to the central mystery. Whether it's worth sticking around for the reveal, though, depends on the viewer's patience.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the American South. What makes it the setting for so many movies and TV shows like Paradise Lost?
Why do you think people have such strong attachments to their hometowns?
TV details
- Premiere date: April 13, 2020
- Cast: Josh Hartnett, Nick Nolte
- Network: Spectrum
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Available on: Streaming
- Last updated: October 6, 2020
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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