American Horror Story
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Screen for YOUR familyParent's Guide to American Horror Story
American Horror Story is a long-running anthology horror television series, with each season presenting a self-contained narrative in a new setting with a distinct theme. The show delves into various subgenres of horror, exploring elements of supernatural, psychological, slasher, and creature features. It is consistently rated TV-MA, indicating content strictly for mature audiences due to its graphic and intense nature. The series frequently tackles mature themes such as violence, sexuality, mental health, societal discrimination, and the occult, often pushing boundaries with its explicit depictions. While individual seasons vary in specific content, the overall series maintains a high level of mature themes, making it unsuitable for younger viewers.
Things to Consider
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
American Horror Story is notably inclusive of LGBTQ+ characters and themes, with showrunner Ryan Murphy, who is openly gay, consistently integrating queer representation into the narrative of every season. The series explores diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, often depicting challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community, including discrimination and conversion therapy. This aspect is not merely incidental but often central to character development and plotlines, with numerous openly LGBTQ+ actors cast in queer roles.
In 'Asylum', Lana Winters, a lesbian journalist, is involuntarily committed to Briarcliff Manor and subjected to electro-shock therapy by Dr. Oliver Thredson as an attempt to 'cure' her homosexuality. 'American Horror Story: NYC' prominently features a storyline centered on mysterious deaths and disappearances of gay men in 1980s New York City, making queer identity and the threats faced by the community central to the season's narrative.
Violence
The series is characterized by pervasive and graphic violence, gore, and disturbing imagery. Each season features intense scenes of murder, mutilation, torture, and various forms of physical brutality, often depicted explicitly and in detail. The violence is a core element of the horror genre presented, designed to shock and disturb viewers.
Romance and Sexual Content
American Horror Story regularly features strong and explicit sexual themes, including graphic nudity, suggestive dialogue, implied and explicit sexual acts, bondage, masturbation, and instances of sexual violence and assault. This content is frequently interwoven with the horror elements, serving to heighten the disturbing nature of the narratives.
Profanity
The series consistently uses very mature and coarse language, including frequent strong expletives. Profanity is a regular feature in dialogue, often used aggressively or in moments of intense emotional distress, contributing to the show's adult rating.
Witchcraft & Occult
Witchcraft, sorcery, and occult themes are central to several seasons, notably 'Coven' and 'Apocalypse'. The series explicitly depicts magical rituals, spellcasting, demon summoning, and interactions with supernatural entities. These elements are not merely background but drive significant plot developments and character powers.
Substance Use
The show frequently depicts the use of various substances, including alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. Characters, both adult and sometimes adolescent, are shown consuming these substances, often in contexts that highlight addiction, self-destruction, or as catalysts for violent or sexual encounters. This content is explicit and recurring across seasons.
Scary & Intense Content
As an anthology horror series, 'American Horror Story' is inherently designed to be scary and intense. It consistently utilizes disturbing imagery, psychological terror, jump scares, body horror, and themes of extreme violence, torture, and death. The narrative frequently places characters in life-threatening situations and explores deeply unsettling psychological states.
Disrespect & Rebellion
Disrespect towards authority figures and rebellious behavior are common themes throughout 'American Horror Story'. Characters frequently challenge social norms, defy parental or institutional rules, and engage in acts of outright insubordination. This can range from sarcastic defiance to extreme acts of rebellion that lead to dangerous or violent consequences.
Anti-Christian Themes
The series frequently incorporates elements that can be interpreted as anti-Christian. This includes the portrayal of corrupt or evil religious figures, explicit depictions of demonic entities, the Anti-Christ, and the glorification of occult practices. Christian symbols or beliefs are sometimes mocked, subverted, or shown in a negative light within the context of the horror narratives.
Additional Context
Best For Ages
18+ due to pervasive graphic violence, explicit sexual content (including sexual violence and nudity), strong language, mature themes, and disturbing imagery. The content is consistently intense and not suitable for minors, as confirmed by its TV-MA rating and detailed content warnings across all seasons.
Good to Know
The anthology format means that specific content and intensity can vary slightly between seasons, but the overall tone and themes remain consistently mature and graphic. Parents should research individual season summaries if they have particular sensitivities, though the general TV-MA rating applies to the entire franchise. The show frequently explores real-world societal issues, including discrimination, through a horror lens.
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