Is American Horror Stories right for your family?

This review covers common concerns — screen for what YOUR family cares about.

American Horror Stories

TV

American Horror Stories is an anthology horror television series that expands upon the universe of its parent show, American Horror Story. Each episode features a standalone, terrifying narrative rooted in various horror subgenres, ranging from ghostly hauntings and demonic possessions to psychological thrillers and slasher scenarios. The series is characterized by its intense and often graphic portrayal of violence, sexuality, and disturbing themes, exploring the darker aspects of human nature and the supernatural. Intended for mature audiences, the show is known for its shock value and commitment to pushing boundaries within the horror genre, making it a challenging watch for younger viewers or those sensitive to extreme content. Across its seasons, it consistently delivers unsettling stories that delve into fear, societal taboos, and the macabre, maintaining the distinctive style and thematic elements established by its creators.

Content concerns found:Click to jump

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Concerns

LGBTQ & Gender Identity

High

The series prominently features LGBTQ+ characters and relationships, often portraying them with the same intensity and explicit detail as heterosexual relationships, including discussions of sexual desires and romantic connections. This is a consistent theme across the franchise, reflecting the creators' common approach to representation.

In 'Rubber (Wo)man' (Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2), the teenage protagonist Scarlett engages in a romantic and sexual relationship with Ruby, a ghost. Their relationship includes sharing 'violent sexual desires' and Scarlett later purchases a condo to be reunited with Ruby. Additionally, the episode 'Milkmaids' (Season 2, Episode 4) is specifically highlighted for its 'queerness' as a significant and positive aspect of its content.

Violence

High

Violence in American Horror Stories is consistently graphic, frequent, and often brutal, serving as a central element of its horror narratives. The show features explicit depictions of murder, gore, torture, and widespread violent acts, justifying its TV-MA rating.

The episode 'Drive In' (Season 1, Episode 3) depicts 'mass violence' where audience members attack and devour one another after watching a cursed film. Characters Kelley and Chad confront the film's director, Larry Bitterman, with Kelley shooting him in the kneecaps and leaving him for dead as his trailer burns. In 'Bloody Mary' (Season 2, Episode 1), the 'Wild Man,' a pagan god, murders characters Wyatt and Zinn, uploading their deaths online. He later shoots Barry and James, killing James, and sets the house ablaze. Police later find body parts 'adorning their Christmas tree.'

Romance and Sexual Content

High

The series contains frequent and often explicit romantic and sexual content, including graphic depictions of intimacy, suggestive language, and themes of sexual coercion. Nudity, implied sexual acts, and discussions of sexual desires are common, contributing significantly to the mature rating of the show.

In 'Rubber (Wo)man' (Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2), Scarlett is shown masturbating and later shares 'violent sexual desires' with her ghostly girlfriend, Ruby. The premiere episode features a scene with two high schoolers making out, where the male character repeatedly attempts to grab the female's crotch without permission, and later, male characters discuss using 'fear' to make a woman 'aroused and opens her up to having sex,' illustrating themes of sexual coercion and disrespect.

Profanity

High

American Horror Stories features frequent and strong profanity, including explicit curse words used in aggressive and intense contexts. The language contributes to the show's mature tone and is consistent with its TV-MA rating.

In an episode involving Tipper Gore (likely 'The Naughty List'), the film director Larry Bitterman screams 'SHE'S A BITCH' at her after his movie is pulled, demonstrating intense and disrespectful language. The TV-MA rating for the series explicitly includes 'strong language' as a content descriptor.

Witchcraft & Occult

High

Witchcraft, occult practices, and supernatural elements are fundamental to the series' horror narratives. The show frequently depicts demons, pagan gods, magic rituals, and other supernatural entities that are central to the plot and often presented in a dark or malevolent context.

In 'Bloody Mary' (Season 2, Episode 1), the antagonist is revealed to be 'the Wild Man, a minor pagan god and Satanic killer of the 'naughty',' indicating the presence of occult figures. The broader 'American Horror Story' universe, which the spin-off is part of, features demons, such as the 'Addiction Demon' which punishes individuals for their vices, and characters like Ms. Mead who claims 'religious freedom' for 'satanic rituals' and is the 'mother figure of the Anti-Christ.'

Scary & Intense Content

High

American Horror Stories is inherently designed to be scary and intense, employing various horror tropes including jump scares, disturbing imagery, psychological terror, and graphic violence. The show consistently delivers frightening scenarios and unsettling atmospheres, making it a high-intensity viewing experience.

The episode 'Drive In' features a cursed film that causes its audience to engage in mass hysteria, violently attacking and devouring one another, creating a chaotic and terrifying scene. In 'Bloody Mary,' the gruesome discovery of body parts 'adorning their Christmas tree' after the 'Wild Man' murders multiple characters provides highly disturbing imagery and intense horror.

Disrespect & Rebellion

High

The series frequently depicts overt disrespect towards authority figures and rebellious behavior, sometimes escalating to physical assault and the promotion of harmful attitudes. This includes verbal abuse and the normalization of coercive dynamics.

In an episode, the film director Larry Bitterman physically assaults and verbally abuses Tipper Gore, screaming 'SHE'S A BITCH' at her in response to her role in censorship, demonstrating extreme disrespect toward a public figure and authority. Additionally, a scene in the premiere shows a male high schooler gaslighting and slut-shaming a female peer for not consenting to his advances, with his friends discouraging respectful behavior and suggesting 'fear' as a tool for sexual arousal, normalizing highly disrespectful and coercive attitudes.

Anti-Christian Themes

High

American Horror Stories, as part of the broader American Horror Story franchise, explicitly incorporates anti-Christian themes. This includes the depiction and promotion of Satanism, the Antichrist, pagan gods, and direct challenges or subversions of Christian beliefs and symbols.

The 'American Horror Story' universe features explicit Satanic worship and the Antichrist. For example, Ms. Mead is depicted as the 'mother figure of the Anti-Christ' and claims 'religious freedom' for 'satanic rituals.' The show also includes figures like 'The Black Pope, Anton LaVey himself shown up to praise Michael Langdon's rise to power,' and portrays Richard Ramirez as a 'devout Satanist,' actively showcasing characters and events aligned with anti-Christian ideologies.

Found 8 high-concern themes. Want to set your own sensitivity levels?

Substance Use

Medium

Substance use, including alcohol and implied drug use, is present in American Horror Stories and the broader American Horror Story franchise, often linked to themes of addiction and self-destruction. While not always explicitly shown in detail for 'Stories,' the mature themes and overarching narrative frequently incorporate these elements.

The parent series, 'American Horror Story,' notably features characters with 'drug problems' in seasons like 'Hotel,' where an 'Addiction Demon' personifies their vices, reflecting the destructive nature of substance dependency. While specific explicit drug use details are less prominent in available 'Stories' snippets, the series' mature rating and its connection to the main show strongly imply the presence of casual alcohol consumption and implied recreational drug use within its mature and often decadent settings.

Other Notes

Target Demographic

TV-MA (Mature Audience Only), recommended for ages 18 and older. The series consistently features graphic violence, strong sexual content, explicit language, and disturbing themes, making it unsuitable for children and most teenagers. Parental guidance is strongly advised due to the intense and often explicit nature of the horror depicted.

Additional Notes

The episodic nature of 'American Horror Stories' means that the intensity and specific types of concerns can vary slightly from episode to episode. However, the overarching tone and themes remain consistently mature and push the boundaries of graphic content. Viewers should expect extreme content across all categories, reflecting the established style of the 'American Horror Story' franchise. The show's interconnectedness with the main series means that themes and characters from 'American Horror Story' can and do appear or are referenced, carrying over the same mature content warnings.

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Is American Horror Stories right for your family?

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