Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Globe-trotting class comedy has sex, nudity, drug use.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The White Lotus
What's the Story?
There's something about this particular group of tourists at the White Lotus resort that's unlike all the others. It includes a couple of nervous newlyweds, the family of a tech CFO, and a woman who is grieving the death of her mother. Their arrival may seem routine to Armond (Murray Bartlett) and his staff at first, but it soon sets off a chain of events that will change the guests' and staff's lives forever.
Is It Any Good?
The White Lotus is a class-conscious comedy of manners, and it gets a ton of mileage out of its incredible and deep cast, who each play their variations on upper-class entitlement with subtlety and humor. While this kind of story was out of fashion for many years, the popularity of shows like Succession and films like Parasite is proving that audiences are hungry for more content that addresses the growing financial disparities in the United States and beyond.
The main difference between The White Lotus and, for example, Succession, is that the characters mostly seem to have genuine, good intentions behind their actions, even if they're unaware of the role that money or race might play in them. This might make the satire a little less biting, but it's nice to have someone to root for.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the resort. What has brought each of these people to the White Lotus? How are the staff expected to behave toward them? How is the tourists' behavior different from the staff's?
What mystery is introduced in the opening minutes of the show? How does this change the feel of the show? What do you think will happen? Does the show give us any clues to how the plot will unfold?
Do you think The White Lotus is a comedy? What's funny about it? What do you think the show wants us to laugh at or take seriously? How can you tell?
TV Details
- Premiere date : July 11, 2021
- Cast : Murray Bartlett , Connie Britton , Jennifer Coolidge , Alexandra Daddario
- Network : HBO
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Award : Emmy - Emmy Award Winner
- Last updated : April 27, 2025
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