Parents' Guide to The Madness

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The Madness TV show poster: a man (Colman Domingo) stares into the distance with his coat collar pulled up to obscure his face

Common Sense Media Review

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

age 15+

Domingo elevates suspense drama; racial tension, violence.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 15+

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

THE MADNESS introduces Muncie Daniels (Colman Domingo), an up-and-coming CNN pundit who rents a secluded house in the Poconos to process his imminent divorce. When his power goes out, Daniels walks across the woods to check on his neighbor— and makes a discovery that places his and his family's lives in danger.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

Colman Domingo is one of those actors that elevate their scripts, and this show is much the better for it. In The Madness, Domingo finds every scrap of subtext within the character interactions on his way to an authentic and unique performance. Dramas about men wrongly accused of crimes usually require buy-in from the audience right away, and Domingo's performance makes it so easy to empathize with Muncie Daniels. After that, things are off and running.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how race affects the interactions between characters even before we know it's an element of the plot. How realistic is the depiction of racial tension?

  • What makes the plot device of a man wrongly accused so compelling? What other shows or films have you seen this trope in?

  • How do Muncie's beliefs and values inform his actions? How does he change by the end of the series?

TV Details

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The Madness TV show poster: a man (Colman Domingo) stares into the distance with his coat collar pulled up to obscure his face

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