Common Sense Media Review
Tense teens, psychic powers, swearing in sci-fi series.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
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The Institute
What's the Story?
When genius teen Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman) is kidnapped one night, he wakes up at THE INSTITUTE, a facility in Maine that holds children with supernatural powers and abilities. Head of the Institute Ms. Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker) refuses to tell them what they're doing or if their parents even know where they are. The only thing she stresses is total obedience— and says they'll be released with a wiped memory once their mission is over. But if anyone asks questions, they suffer dire consequences. Meanwhile, Tim Jamieson (Ben Barnes) is wandering from his dark past and mistakes. Hitchhiking to a small town in Maine, he finds work as Night knocker. But with locals warning him that something is odd about the town, this might not be the clean reset that he was looking for.
Is It Any Good?
It's not hard for a promising psychological sci-fi series like this to get lost in its own details. Though The Institute is eerie, intriguing, and intricate it does have a bit of a pacing issue, and a lot of information is introduced to the viewer almost all at once. But it's still easy to get pulled into the secrets and anxiously await to see how the story unfolds. The language, violence, smoking, and sexual content make this suitable for older teens.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence shown in The Institute. How does the level of violence in this series compare to others in the same genre? Do you think it's necessary? What impact does media violence have on kids?
Why do some shows and movies about teens often feature lots of cursing, smoking, and other risky behaviors? What impact do you think this has on viewers, if any?
Stephen King's writings have been adapted to shows, miniseries, and movies dozens of times. Why do you think they often get developed? Are you familiar with his other works? Do you think they're most succesful in a specific format?
TV Details
- Premiere date : July 13, 2025
- Cast : Ben Barnes , Mary Louise Parker , Joe Freeman
- Network : MGM+
- Genre : Science Fiction
- TV rating :
- Last updated : July 17, 2025
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