Hilda
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Screen for YOUR familyParent's Guide to Hilda
Hilda is an animated fantasy-adventure series on Netflix, adapted from Luke Pearson's graphic novels. It chronicles the escapades of a fearless blue-haired girl, Hilda, who, along with her deerfox Twig and her mother Johanna, relocates from the wilderness to the bustling, folklore-filled city of Trolberg. The show is geared towards children, typically rated TV-Y7, and follows Hilda as she befriends various mythical creatures and navigates a world brimming with supernatural elements, including elves, trolls, and spirits. While lauded for its beautiful animation, imaginative storytelling, and positive themes of friendship, curiosity, and courage, parental reviews highlight a significant presence of pagan and occult themes, as well as some intense or scary sequences that may be unsuitable for very young or sensitive viewers.
Things to Consider
Witchcraft & Occult
Witchcraft and occult themes are central and recurring elements throughout the series, presented within a Scandinavian folklore context. Characters actively engage in spellcasting, communicate with spirits, and explore a world where magic and pagan concepts are normalized and depicted explicitly.
The series 'heavily relies on objectionable pagan concepts,' including 'witchcraft, messing with ghosts, and on screen (though bloodless) mutilation'. Hilda's friend Frida becomes a 'witch in training,' studies witchcraft, reads spell books, and uses spells. Hilda's Aunt Astrid is also portrayed as a witch who 'creates charms and practices her witchy beliefs'. In one episode, Hilda botches a 'charisma enhance' spell on David and briefly 'harvests his soul' before reversing it.
Anti-Christian Themes
The series presents a worldview heavily influenced by Norse mythology and pagan beliefs, explicitly incorporating witchcraft, necromancy, and interactions with spirits as normalized elements. This consistent portrayal of alternative spiritual practices is identified as a significant concern for Christian parents, despite no direct mockery of Christian tenets.
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Additional Context
Best For Ages
Ages 8+ with parental guidance. While officially rated TV-Y7, the consistent and prominent inclusion of witchcraft, occult practices, and occasionally intense or frightening scenes featuring fantastical creatures warrants a recommendation for slightly older children, or younger children only with active parental discussion and discernment.
Good to Know
The visual appeal and engaging narrative style of 'Hilda' may make the embedded pagan and occult themes seem less impactful to younger viewers, potentially normalizing these concepts. Parents should be aware that the intensity of certain themes, particularly scary and occult elements, can evolve across seasons and the associated film 'Hilda and the Mountain King'.
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