Parents' Guide to UFO

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Common Sense Media Review

Marty Brown By Marty Brown , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 12+

Extraterrestrial docuseries leaves questions unanswered.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 12+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

UFO is a documentary series that investigates UFO sightings and the public responses to them. It begins with the revelation that the American government has been tracking UFOs for decades, then goes back to interview witnesses at mass UFO sightings in search of the truth behind them. Could people have really seen extraterrestrial beings flying by? Is our government truly invested in covering up the facts about UFOs? And how do these sightings and coverups change people's lives?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

The year 2021 is an interesting time to be releasing a documentary that's largely about conspiracy theories, as America is in an era when conspiracy theories and misinformation are having a direct impact on people's lives. In many ways, UFO feels like a run-of-the-mill documentary that asks familiar questions about extraterrestrial life and government involvement with it. But, told largely from the point-of-view of the UFO-spotters, it feels like it supports some of their theories, coming across as less journalistic than sensationalist or exploitative, as if it didn't want to investigate deeper than the surface. The facts may all be out there, but they are not in here.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about UFOs. Do you believe in UFOs and/or life on other planets? Why or why not? Does UFO sway your beliefs in either direction?

  • What seems to motivate the people in this documentary that have seen UFOs? What do they want from the government or other authorities? Do they seem reasonable or unreasonable?

  • What are some of the conspiracy theories discussed in UFO? How are they presented? Does the series itself seem to take a side?

TV Details

  • Premiere date : August 8, 2021
  • Network : Showtime
  • Genre : Educational
  • TV rating : TV-14
  • Last updated : August 12, 2021

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