Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Graphic violence, snappy dialogue in serial-killer comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Scream Queens
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 17 parent reviews
Based on 62 kid reviews
Kids say the show mixes elements of horror and comedy effectively but includes excessive violence, sexual themes, and inappropriate language that make it unsuitable for younger viewers. Many teens enjoy its humor and satirical take on traditional slasher tropes, yet there are concerns about the negative role models and graphic content depicted throughout the series.
- humor and gore
- inappropriate language
- negative role models
- not for kids
- teen audience appeal
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
SCREAM QUEENS is set at a mysterious sorority house, where 20 years ago a sister died under questionable circumstances after giving birth to a baby she didn't know she was carrying. Now a murderer is once again stalking the sisters of Kappa Kappa Tau, with body after body piling up in the industrial house freezer. But that's not even the biggest problem faced by KKT's despicable president Chanel Oberlin (Emma Roberts) and her henchwomen Chanel #2 (Ariana Grande), Chanel #3 (Billie Lourd), and head lady-in-waiting Chanel #5 (Abigail Breslin). That problem would be one Dean Cathy Munsch (Jamie Lee Curtis), who has decreed that this year the misbehaving KKT must take in every single pledge who applies -- which includes shoe-ins such as legacy sister Grace Gardner (Skyler Samuels) as well as harder sells such as the back-brace-clad supernerd Hester Ulrich (Lea Michele). But whoever's going around bumping people off in a red devil suit may teach the girls that there are worse things than having to be nice.
Is It Any Good?
With sharp dialogue, clever twists, and a great cast, this is a fun show for adult and teen horror fans, but it's too violent and vulgar for younger viewers. On the funny-to-scary scale, it lands somewhere between showrunner Ryan Murphy's Glee and American Horror Story. Scream Queens definitely doesn't rise to the level of graphic sex and gore as the latter, but it's a lot creepier than Glee, though it does share that show's satiric sensibility. As on Glee, characters are racist, homophobic, and generally cruel to each other; older viewers may find it fresh and snarky, but again, younger viewers may take Chanel grousing about "ethnics" or "sluts" at face value. If you let younger teens watch, you may want to be available to counter iffy messages and watch for particularly gory scenes such as the hydrochloric acid bath or deep-fryer face-burning.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why horror is a popular genre. Why is watching scary material enjoyable? When does it go too far?
Are we supposed to like the sorority sisters? Which ones? How can you tell? Consider the show's costuming in your reply.
Are horror comedies ever scary? Why, or why not? Do the jokes make the horror more or less scary?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 22, 2015
- Cast : Emma Roberts , Abigail Breslin , Niecy Nash , Oliver Hudson , Ariana Grande , Lea Michele , Nick Jonas
- Network : Fox
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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