Common Sense Media Review
By Matt Cabral
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Familiar-feeling dark drama has strong language, violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Mosquito Coast
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE MOSQUITO COAST is based on the 1981 Paul Theroux novel and 1986 Harrison Ford film of the same name. It stars Justin Theroux (author Paul's nephew) as Allie Fox, a brilliant inventor and loving family man with a dark secret and a distrust of modern technology. Fox, his wife Margot (Melissa George), and their two children are on the run from the federal government. The series is heavily focused on their increasingly dangerous exploits as fugitives, as well as the impact these deeds have on their family dynamic. The Fox children -- as well as the audience -- are mostly left in the dark on the details surrounding Allie's secret past, a conceit that drives the series' central mystery.
Is It Any Good?
The Mosquito Coast features the sort of thoughtful, nuanced performances, high production values, and gritty drama we've come to expect from prestige television. The core cast is excellent and immediately draws you into their dysfunctional family and sets up an absorbing mystery. But while all the ingredients are in place for a fantastic recipe, the show quickly starts to feel more like comfort food than an exciting new dish.
As the Fox family's unstable, criminal patriarch, Allie makes for a compelling character, albeit one who might feel a bit too familiar to fans of Breaking Bad and Ozark. The show's writing and pacing also isn't as tight as those series'. While it's packed with enough twists and turns to regularly nudge you to the edge of your seat, The Mosquito Coast frequently strains the boundaries of believability too far in an effort to sustain its secrets and mysteries. If you're craving your next dad-with-a-dark-secret fix, this one certainly fits the bill. Just don't be surprised if your unfavorable comparisons to similar series start to pile up the deeper down this rabbit hole you go.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the morals of main character Allie Fox. Do you feel like he's a good guy or a villain? Can he be both? How does he treat his family versus strangers?
Why does Allie shun technology? Why does he homeschool his children? Are his fears legitimate, or unfounded?
How are authority figures depicted in the series? Are they the "good guys" in the story? How do their actions differ from authority figures in similar series?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 30, 2021
- Cast : Justin Theroux , Melissa George
- Network : Apple TV
- Genre : Action
- Topics : Adventures , Book Characters
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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