A Tale Dark and Grimm Netflix Series Review and Discussion Questions written by the Ent on October 13th, 2021. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch A Tale Dark and Grimm Series
Show: A Tale Dark and Grimm
Rating: TV-PG
Genre: Fantasy, Childrens, Fairy Tale
Length: Ten 25 minute episodes (1st episode is about 40 minutes)
Age suggested: 10 and up
Release Date: October 8th, 2021
Warnings: This series is based on the Grimm fairy tales and does not shy away from the source material. There is a lot of violence and murder (though mostly shown in silhoutte), mild potty humor and language. For a more details of the content, check out our Is A Tale Dark and Grimm Approprite section below.
Quick A Tale Dark and Grimm Netflix Series Summary
Based on the Book Series of the Same Name, A Tale Dark and Grimm smoothly combines the fun, modern animation with the macabre writings of the Brothers Grimm. The majority of the story follows Hansel and Gretel, a set of twins who travel on a long perilous journey in order to find where they belong. The episodes weave beautifully between the overarching plot alongside several side quests and characters to tell a compelling and gripping tale that is in fact dark and grim.
A Tale Dark and Grimm Netflix Series Review (Contains Spoilers)
****SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT****
-Is A Tale Dark and Grimm appropriate?-
A Tale Dark and Grim contains numerous moments of violence and death. I have put together a small list of some examples to give an idea of the content, but this is not n extensive list. A girl cuts of her own pinky, a few characters, including children, are beheaded (then immediately healed), a woman is impaled and dies, many characters die in battle. Although most of these are presented in silhouette form, they are shown in dramatic fashion, then usually cut with some comedy or light hearted narration.
There are a few other warnings. The parents of Hansel and Gretel ae violent towards them. This is later explained, but could still be hard for young viewers to understand. The devil is a character in parts of the story and hell is visited. Hell is shown as a place of torment and some very macabre items are seen throughout. There is also some mild language (crap, hell, etc) and potty humor. All of this combined is why we suggest viewers be 10 or older, but understading that not all kids will enjoy this series, no matter their age due to its dark nature.
–Why Watch A Tale Dark and Grimm Netflix Series-
A Tale Dark and Grimm provides a surprisingly fun introduction to the Grimm Fairy Tales. Despite it’s dark and macabre nature, if the viewer can handle the darkness, they are in for a journey of extreme highs and lows. All of the characters, especially Hansel and Gretel, are complex characters who struggle with all of the horrible things that are thrown at them. There are so many side characters and most of them are allowed to be much more than simple, one note characters. A special shout out needs to be given to the crow narrators as they provide a perfect combination of comedic relief and dark humor.
The animation is a bit interesting, because it adds to the illusion of it being a children’s story. It makes it a very interesting contrast when the animation changes to illustrate the darker elements of the stories. A Tale Dark and Grimm does a great job at taking inspiration from the Grimm Fairy Tales while also managing to create a riveting narrative that stays throughout the whole season. Ultimately, the show is really well animated and written and is a great homage to the classic Grimm stories.
A Tale Dark and Grimm Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Perseverance, Good vs Evil, Using Your Head and Heart, Mystery
1) The Grimm Fairy Tales are filled with morals. When watching A Tale Dark and Grimm, what morals do you see displayed? (You could ask this question at the end of every episode and discuss.
2) What was the misunderstanding that Hansel and Gretel had about their parents? What could have prevented this situation?
3) Many characters are introduced and you initally have a set opinion of them, but when you learn more about them your opinions change (i.e. Johannes, The Baker, The Turnip Farmer, etc). What does this teach us about judging people?
Before you go, check out these other posts:
-Our top family friendly Netflix Streaming Suggestions
–Muppets Haunted Mansion Review
-Lessons from The Willoughybys with Discussion Questions
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