Parents' Guide to Typewriter

TV Netflix Drama 2019
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Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Stranger Things-style Indian horror series charms, scares.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

age 14+

Based on 2 kid reviews

What's the Story?

TYPEWRITER is an Indian horror series about a book, a haunted house, and a group of young ghost hunters. It was in 1983 when writer Madhav Matthews (Kanwaljit Singh) died of a heart attack while his granddaughter Jenny (Trisha Jain) was staying with him at Bardez Villa, in Goa. But there are strange circumstances surrounding his death, including the mysterious completion of his book, The Ghost of Sultanpore, which Matthews had only begun to write that very day. Now Sameera "Sam" Anand (Aarna Sharma), along with schoolmates Satyajit "Gablu" Tandon (Mikhail Gandhi), Devraj Banerjee "Bunty" Dutta (Palash Kamble), and Sam's dog Buddy are using the book to help find the ghost that legends claim haunt the house, much to the chagrin of Sam's father, local police Inspector Anand (Purab Kohli). But when Jenny (Palomi Ghosh), now an adult, moves into Bardez Villa along with her husband Peter Fernandes (Sameer Kochhar), and their kids, Anya (Sara Gesawat) and Nikhil (Aaryansh Malviya), odd things start to happen, people begin to die in mysterious ways, and Sam and her friends must face terrifying circumstances.

Is It Any Good?

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

This TV adaptation of a web series spins a ghostly tale that's more charming than terrifying. While it has suspense and some bloody, scary moments, the pace of the series is set by the young members of the Ghost Club, who consistently find themselves caught up in some sort of mischief while pursuing their spirit-hunting passion. The interactions between the extended cast makes for some comical moments, reveals romantic tensions, and churns out subsequent plot lines. While these inevitably collide with the supernatural narrative at various points in the story world, chances are it will remind you of popular stateside shows like Stranger Things than darker, more horror-driven series like The Haunting of Hill House. Those looking for a more traditional variation of the genre may be disappointed by the lack of extra scary stuff, but what Typewriter presents is well-written, extremely entertaining, and oddly addictive.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about horror TV series and films. How is it possible be creepy or frightening without showing lots of gore or graphic violence? What are some of the ways that television and film creators can accomplish this? Do you think Typewriter is scary?

  • What are some of the challenges that come with importing a series or film from another country to the United States? What about vice versa? How can global audiences appreciate stories from countries or communities outside their own?

TV Details

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