Parents' Guide to

Troy: Fall of a City

By Mark Dolan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Slow retelling of classic tale lacks strong characters.

TV Netflix Drama 2018
Troy: Fall of a City Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 17+

Based on 1 parent review

Foxx
Foxx Adult
April 17, 2018
age 17+

Get attached to characters just to watch them slaughtered.

The title of this show tells you exactly what is going to happen. Everyone dies. You get to know these characters you begin to love just to see them slaughtered. It was interesting to see Robin Hood (Jonas Armstrong) portraying a bad guy. There is no great messages. The one guy who I thought was being the best example this show has to offer as a good role model throws a baby off a wall to kill it. I am disappointed in how violent and sad it was but at the same time the title explains what’s gonna happen.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In TROY: FALL OF A CITY, 20-year-old Paris (Louis Hunter) is a strapping young herdsman who's discovered to be the king of Troy's son, previously thought to be dead. Welcomed back to the palace as a prince, he's sent on his first diplomatic mission to neighboring Sparta, where he falls instantly in love with Helen (Bella Dayne), the wife of the Spartan king, Menelaus (Jonas Armstrong). When Paris secretly brings Helen back with him to Troy, it is seen as an act of war, and Menelaus enlists the aid of his warrior brother Agamemnon (Johnny Harris) and his armies to get Helen back.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (2):

High production values and an epic canvas can't save this slow-moving, empty retelling of the Trojan war. Told in the grounded style of Game of Thrones, Troy: Fall of a City also shares that series' deliberate approach to plotting. What it lacks, though, is even one engaging character at its center that might make the sluggish pace of the show more bearable. Paris, our supposed hero, is portrayed as petulant and impulsive. So little time is devoted to Paris and Helen falling in love that the audience has no time to understand what makes their attraction worthy of war.

A majority of the other characters are stalwart soldiers with familiar names -- Agamemnon, Achilles, Odysseus -- who barely have a shade of difference in terms of characterization. It's too bad. This timeless story could have been the foundation for a solid show, but the creators make a number of poor decisions that keep Troy: Fall of a City from being anything more than mediocre.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how women are treated in the world of Troy: Fall of a City. What part do they play in resolving conflicts? Is it active or passive? Helen asks to be accepted by the king and queen of Troy because they rule together as equals. Do we see that equality depicted in the actions of the characters?

  • How does this telling of the story of Helen of Troy compare to others you may have encountered?

TV Details

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