Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Docuseries offers superficial history of espionage.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Spycraft
What's the Story?
SPYCRAFT is a documentary series about the world of espionage. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of being a spy, from the technology they use to how spies are recruited. The series tells stories about spies from recent American history, and features interviews with government officials who interacted with those spies in real time. The show offers a historical perspective on who spies are, what they do, what motivates them, and how they get caught.
Is It Any Good?
People tend to know more about spies from entertainment than from real life. That's what makes Spycraft's premise so intriguing. Unfortunately, the show feels more like clickbait than a true documentary. It hooks you by promising a look into an unseen world. But rather than give true insight into the world of espionage and the lives of spies, the series simply compiles relatively well-known spy stories from the past 50 years or so of headlines. Other than some interviews with high-level government officials, the show is just basic research, dramatic reenactments, and stock footage. Not much consideration is given to telling the stories in exciting or suspenseful ways, and Dylan Berry's awkward, lifeless narration only makes things worse. Ultimately, despite its thrilling premise, Spycraft doesn't deviate much from the same well-trod territory that most espionage documentaries have taken in the past.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about spycraft. What do you know about spying and espionage? How do the stories from the show compare to what you imagined the life of a spy to be?
How do you think the series feels about the spies it features? Does it like them? Respect them? Why, or why not?
What are the most interesting parts of spycraft? After watching the show, do you think spying is exciting? Why, or why not? What do you think motivated the spies that the show talks about?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 20, 2021
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Educational
- TV rating :
- Last updated : February 17, 2021
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