Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cult rituals, weird sex in intriguing period biography.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Strange Angel
What's the Story?
STRANGE ANGEL relates the bizarre life story of Jack Parsons (Jack Reynor), a restless scientist whose rocketry experiments with friend Richard Onsted (Peter Mark Kendall) became the basis for America's space program -- and whose complicated personal life, including a long-term association with the occult philosophies of Aleister Crowley, ultimately spelled his doom.
Is It Any Good?
Reading as something like a cross between Mad Men and The Master, this drama about an eccentric rocketeer-turned-occultist is as strange as the man it depicts. Period piece fans won't be surprised by some things: suspenders, rattly old Ford trucks, radio shows, a billboard touting Pasadena as a fertile land of orange groves. But then there are the sex magick rites, animal sacrifices, chalices of blood, and virgins on altars. True story: The very same guy who spent his days figuring out the basics of jet propulsion spent his nights adhering to the philosophy of occultist Aleister Crowley (and later, welcoming Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard into his magical circle).
It's all very weird -- and very entertaining. Viewers weary of the beats of a typical biography (struggle followed by incredible success; repeat as many times as necessary to fill up time) will be intrigued with the twists and turns of Parsons' life, and how his restless brilliance was accompanied by an equally strong self-destructive streak. Why? And how did he finally destroy himself? Wikipedia can give you the outline -- but Strange Angel scores by filling in the details enchantingly.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the group that Jack joins. Is it a cult? What's the difference between a cult and a religion? How can you tell?
Is Jack a man to be admired? Is he presented as an admirable man? Is he sympathetic? How do shows communicate how to feel about characters? How does Strange Angel present Jack to us: as a hero or antihero? Or both?
Many shows are set in other time periods. How does this one communicate the time period of its setting? Consider dialogue, set dressing, music, and costumes in your answer.
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 11, 2018
- Cast : Jack Reynor , Bella Heathcote , Rupert Friend , Zack Pearlman
- Network : CBS
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : March 13, 2020
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