Parents' Guide to

The Rain

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Entertaining dystopian thriller has cursing, strong content.

TV Netflix Science Fiction 2018
The Rain Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 15+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Linea W.
Linea W. Adult
May 11, 2018
age 17+

Interesting but not for children or teenagers

After a brutal virus wipes out most of the population, two young siblings embark on a perilous search for safety. There are several sex and sensual scenes. There is a shower scene with multiple males/females in underwear and bras, including topless female and rear male nudity. There is also a possible rape scene. There is some profanity throughout including F**k and S**t. The show is riddled with violence and graphic and disturbing scenes.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
C D.
C D. Adult
May 10, 2018
age 18+

Intriguing but mature.

The Rain is a post apocalyptic climate where the main focus is on a sister and brother who have been in a bunker for 6 years and are now trying to figure out what’s really going on, hoping to find their dad as they venture out into whatever earth has become. While I feel that the story is pretty interesting, and the portrayal of humanity true (for good or ill), I feel that the various sex sense (which don’t always feel consensual. There is also what appears to be gang rape, etc.) weren’t really needed to further the story or gather background on characters. There is also nudity in some episodes. Also a bit sweaty if you try to avoid cursing. The stage that is set for this story is also one that involves very little trust and bloodshed, particularly if someone could be infected. Whilest it mainly is personal choice, given the various content I would say give it a miss if the above is what you’re trying to avoid viewing. More mature than it need be. I will say as positives, I feel that the bond with sister and brother (in the beginning at least) is good. It makes something seem a bit more hopeful.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE RAIN is a Danish series about a pair of siblings trying to find answers after a virus-infected rain wipes out most of civilization. Simone (Alba August) and her younger brother Rasmus (Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen) spend six years hidden in a bunker after the rains started, hoping that their father will return for them. After being found by a band of young survivors, including Martin (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard), Beatrice (Angela Bundalovic), Jean (Sonny Lindberg), Lea (Jessica Dinnage), and Patrick (Lucas Løkken), they make their way throughout post-apocalyptic Scandinavia looking for safety and for answers. Simone knows that her brother is the key to understanding everything that's happened, and that her father knows the truth.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (13 ):

This gritty dystopian series, which is dubbed into English, combines horror-laced thrills and a classic coming-of-age story to create something unrelentingly dark and compelling. Set in a post-apocalyptic world that was actively destroyed by climate-related events, Simone, Rasmus, and the rest of the group build friendships, fall in love, fight jealousies, while simultaneously face the brutality of the diseased and violent world they are now forced to live in.

The overall story, which sometimes feels like a cross between Contagion and The Walking Dead, isn't particularly original. The warning it sends about the negative impact humans have on the climate is obvious, too. But this doesn't stop The Rain from being entertaining. The harrowing details of their journey, along with flashbacks of pivotal moments in each character's lives, are offered at a pace that leaves little time to get bored. If you're looking for a binge-worthy end of the world drama, The Rain will fit the bill.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about dystopian stories. How do they address current social problems? Why set something in an alternate reality?

  • What messages does The Rain offer about climate change? Environmental ethics? What other points does it attempt to make?

TV Details

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