Parents' Guide to Red Rose

Intriguing and mysterious, this series spins a compelling tale and injects some juice into the done-to-death dark teen-mystery genre. Red Rose's good points are many, but three are the most important: The young actors, largely unknown on this side of the pond, are ragtag, naturalistic, and believable. Second, the premise digs into the attachment young people have to their phones and to social media, a potent source of ominousness and a modern one (most thrillers separate their characters from their phones, all the better to maroon them in a terrifying situation).

And finally, Red Rose succeeds with subtle writing that shows more than it tells. No one says outright that Rochelle's family has money problems; we can see it in the tension when her dad mentions a job possibility and when the family's electricity flickers off. We know Rochelle and BFF Wren have a complicated relationship from the longing way Rochelle watches her friend when Wren's not looking. Of course, many of the best moments of Red Rose are big thumping plot points, twists that send the narrative reeling to a new place. But with the drama grounded in realistic details and believable performances, Red Rose's impact is all the greater.