Parents' Guide to Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Parents need to know that Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a dark drama about a teen girl (Kiernan Shipka) with magical powers. Existing in the same world as Riverdale and classic Archie comic characters, it's an edgy retelling of the young witch's story. Violence includes deaths, stabbings with spurting blood, images of witches hanging from a tree, a character making a joke about having human flesh for dinner while standing over the body of a recently murdered teen, and more. Gothic imagery -- bats, fog, cemeteries -- may spook younger viewers. A teen is bullied for having an androgynous gender presentation. Sexual content consists of loving kisses between Sabrina and her boyfriend, talk about virginity (and why it's a requirement for a new witch), and an orgy that takes place at Sabrina's home (she's not involved). Language is infrequent but includes "bastard," "a--hole," "hell," "bulls--t," and made-up slang with a vulgar edge, like when Sabrina calls fellow witches "succubitches." An adult character smokes frequently with no visible consequences, and teens sometimes drink, which adults seem not to mind. Women and people of color have strong roles with agency; a main character is nonbinary. Sabrina in particular is tough but kind; she stands up for herself and for others against intense opposition, and she's a good role model for teens in many ways. That said, this magical world is darker, bloodier, sexier, and more shocking than Harry Potter; think Buffy the Vampire Slayer with even more focus on the occult and evil. As Sabrina's seasons move on, the action is even edgier and darker, with sudden bloody murders, disturbing imagery (like a scene in which two characters suddenly find that they've been sewn together to be conjoined twins), rituals that involve cannibalism, demonic possession, evil spells, and the resurrection of the dead. Many scenes feature characters visiting hell and communing with demons and/or Satan.