Parents' Guide to Tales from the Loop

TV Prime Video Drama 2020
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Common Sense Media Review

Marty Brown By Marty Brown , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Anthology sci-fi drama is slow-burning, visually stunning.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 15+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 14+

Based on 4 kid reviews

What's the Story?

In TALES FROM THE LOOP, one by one, the inhabitants of a small town near a mysterious underground organization called "The Loop" discover that they can bend time and space in unexpected ways. Based on paintings by artist Simon Stalenhag, each episode of this series features a different but related story, sometimes with overlapping characters and actors including Rebecca Hall and Jonathan Pryce (Brazil).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 4 ):
Kids say ( 4 ):

Anthology series can be tricky to pull off, because the quality usually differs greatly from episode to episode -- Tales from the Loop counters this by telling a series of short stories that work on their own but also interlock beautifully. Characters who briefly appear in one episode might be the lead protagonist in the next, creating a pleasing mosaic that pieces together the strange vibe of this small, mysterious town. The series sacrifices the Twilight Zone-like ironic final twists many anthology shows seem compelled to provide, in favor of gentle morality tales that combine into an ultimately more satisfying cumulative effect.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about mysteries. How do the people in the town deal with the mysterious changes in their lives? Why do you think people are compelled to solve mysteries or find out more about their worlds?

  • Do you think each episode of Tales from the Loop has a moral, like in a fairy tale? Have you seen other TV shows try to teach similar lessons about the world and its people?

  • Families can talk about the future and technology. What good things do you think it has in store for humanity? Are you concerned about others?

TV Details

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What to Watch Next

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