Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Disturbing cult thriller; violence against kids, cursing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Clearing
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Adapted from a book written by J.P. Pomare, THE CLEARING is an Australian dramatic miniseries about a woman who's trying to come to terms with her past to help rescue a little girl from a cult. Freya Heywood (Teresa Palmer) lives in Australia with her son and struggles to keep her disturbing past at bay, but when a local child goes missing she senses that the kidnapping has something to do with the people from her childhood.
Is It Any Good?
This dark fictional thriller, like the book it's adapted from, is inspired by the antics of an Australian New Age cult known as "The Family" that operated between 1963 and 1987. The TV narrative jumps back from Freya's current life to her early teen years (played by Julia Savage), but in a way that is designed to keep viewers in the dark about specific events until the two parts of her life collide. This lack of linear storytelling leads to some entertaining twists and turns. But it makes the first few episodes a little hard to fully understand each character and their relevance to the overall story world. But stick with it -- The Clearing offers a compellingly sinister viewing experience that's worth investing in.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what a cult is. What do cult leaders do and say to get people to follow him/her/them? What can people do to avoid ending up in one?
How similar is the TV version of The Clearing to J.P. Pomare's book? Do either of these narratives accurately portray what The Family was like? Or do they recreate a more violent or sensationalized version of this cult for entertainment purposes?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 24, 2023
- Cast : Teresa Palmer , Miranda Otto , Guy Pearce
- Network : Hulu
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : July 6, 2023
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