The Night Manager parents guide: What you should know before letting your teen watch the British spy thriller

At first glance, BBC One's(AMC in the US) The Night Manager may sound like a kid-friendly spy thriller, but if you delve into the plot, you'll understand why the series is unsuitable for children. It bears a TV-14 rating in the US (as per IMDb).

This Emmy-winning series is based on John le Carré's 1993 novel. David Farr serves as the writer, while the duo Susanne Bier and Georgia Banks-Davies are the directors. It features Tom Hiddleston in a leading role along with Hugh Laurie, Alistair Petrie, Olivia Colman, and Douglas Hodge, to name a few.

The plot follows the adventures of Jonathan Pines, a night shift manager of a high-end hotel in Cairo. Turns out he's a veteran soldier who is hired by Angela Burr, a MI6 agent and the manager of a task force set to investigate an illegal arms operation. Pines needs to infiltrate the inner circle of the infamous yet charismatic arms dealer Richard Dickie Roper.

The Night Manager: Parents' guide

The Night Manager has a TV-14 rating, which means it's unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. It's meant for older teens and adults. But in certain streaming platforms like Apple TV, it bears a TV-MA (not suitable for children under 17) rating as well, and here's why.

From the first episode itself, we get an idea that the show is not meant for kids. We see Jonathan Pines and his squeeze Sophie in an intimate sequence. Even if the show does not have gritty scenes like Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, it does have bits of violence. In short, it might be a great spy thriller, but it's not meant for kids.

Firstly, it contains scenes with s**ual content and nu*ity. Secondly, the show includes some graphic as well as violent sequences. For instance, in the first episode, when Jonathan finds Sophie's lifeless body in the hotel room, it is intense and disturbing. The camera pans towards Sophie's bloodied body for a little while, making it even more gritty. In Episode 2, a bunch of robbers blackmail Roper's family, threaten his son, and when Jonathan interferes, it gets quite violent. Additionally, some scenes exhibit substance abuse and alcohol consumption. And honestly, each episode pushes the boundaries further with rising levels of violence, abuse, and crude language. Even though these elements are included to make the show feel raw and real, it's not suitable for children.

Not just the US, the show's global parental rating proves that it's meant for older teens and adults. For instance, in Australia, it carries an MA15+ rating, while in Brazil, India, and Japan, it's meant for people over 18 years. In the UK, it's meant for children above 15.

Child-friendly spy thriller movies and shows

If your kid is eager to watch spy thrillers, worry not, here's a list of what they can watch instead:

• Penguins of Madagascar: (suitable for 7+) Available on Prime, Paramount+, and Apple TV
• The Spy Next Door: (PG)Available on YouTube TV or Prime Video
• Harriett the Spy: (8-12 years) Available on Prime Video and Apple TV
• Odd Squad : (5-8 years) Available on PBS Kids

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Also Read: Where was The Night Manager Season 2 shot?

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