Parents' Guide to

The White Lotus

By Martin Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Globe-trotting class comedy has sex, nudity, drug use.

TV HBO Comedy 2021
The White Lotus Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 18+

Based on 4 parent reviews

TexChic
TexChic Adult
August 26, 2021
age 18+

White Lotus is sex and drug porn

I couldn't even make it through Episode 2. Teen drug use, nudity, profanity, porn.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
2 people found this helpful.
Duend3cita
Duend3cita Parent of 16-year-old
February 10, 2023
age 18+

Porn

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 4 parent reviews

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 greiving 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?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (3):

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 than 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

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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