Parents' Guide to

The Gloaming

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Dark noir-ish thriller has violence, drinking, sex content.

TV Starz Drama 2021
The Gloaming Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

THE GLOAMING is a dark series about a murder investigation in Hobart, Tasmania. In 1999, while exploring an old house with friend Alex O'Connell (Finn Ireland), Jenny McGinty (Milly Alcock) is murdered. Over 20 years later, Hobart Detective Molly McGee (Emma Booth) is investigating what appears to be a ritual killing of a middle-aged woman carrying Jenny McGinty's school I.D. She is joined by the now-adult O'Connell (played by Ewen Leslie), who was forced to fly in from Melbourne to help with the case. But McGee has problems of her own, including a troubled relationship with her daughter Lilly (Josephine Blazier), and an stalker-like interest in businessman Gareth McAvaney (Martin Henderson). While all this unfolds, teenager Daisy Hart (Markella Kavenagh), a troubled foster child McGee has been mentoring, is distraught after recording the murder of a woman at the hands of her boyfriend, Freddie Hopkins (Matt Testro). Throughout it all, mysterious hauntings occur once the gloam, or twilight, begins.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This grim and shadowy series features a multitude of strange, intensity-filled plot lines that interconnect in different ways. Investigators Molly McGee and Alex O'Connell are central to the story, but the members of the ensemble cast also play integral roles in it, even if it isn't readily apparent. The various quiet tensions between cast members also create a sense of mystery.

If you're looking for a clearly laid out narrative, you won't find it here. The plot twists are many, and each episode seems to raise more questions than provide answers. Nonetheless, the overall viewing experience is both fun and thrilling. If you're looking for a solid and modern crime noir experience, The Gloaming is worth checking out.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about gloaming. The Scottish term refers to "twilight" or "the dying of the light." What is the significance of the word in this series?

  • The modern crime noir TV genre is characterized as being dark, gritty, and filled with disillusionment and despair. What aspects of The Gloaming match this description? Why do people find crime noir TV shows and movies entertaining?

TV Details

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