First Kill – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

First Kill

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2022

52%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Vampire meets vampire hunter, they fall in love—it's Twilight meets Buffy, but make it gay and significantly messier.

6.5/10

59%

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First Kill

show

TV-MA, 2022

52%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Vampire meets vampire hunter, they fall in love—it's Twilight meets Buffy, but make it gay and significantly messier.

6.5

59%

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6.5/10

59%

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Screenwise Verdict

First Kill wants to be the gay Twilight/Buffy mashup, and it gets points for centering an LGBTQ+ teen romance without making it the entire plot. The two leads have chemistry, and there's genuine emotional stakes in their impossible situation.

But here's the thing: critics panned it (45 on Metacritic), and Netflix cancelled it after one season. The world-building is thin, the plot gets increasingly messy, and you're left with an incomplete story. Audiences loved it way more than critics (89% vs 59% on RT), which tells you teens connected with the romance even if the show itself was flawed.

It's fine for older teens who want supernatural romance with queer representation, but temper expectations—this is comfort-food TV that got axed before it could stick the landing.

Age Fit

This is solidly for older teens (15+) who can handle vampire violence, blood, and mature romantic content. The LGBTQ+ romance is handled well, but the show's messy execution and abrupt cancellation mean it's more 'fine for a weekend binge' than 'must-watch.'

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Explores themes of family, friendship, and identity through a supernatural lens. The central romance between two teen girls is handled with genuine emotion, and the show examines questions of morality and loyalty. However, the vampire/hunter dynamic involves violence and moral ambiguity that complicates the 'wholesome' framing. Characters do demonstrate teamwork and question who the real monsters are, which adds depth.

Imaginative

Takes the well-worn vampire genre and adds the hunter-vampire romance twist, but doesn't break particularly new ground. The supernatural world-building is described as 'small but consistent' by viewers. It's competent genre work with LGBTQ+ representation, but multiple reviews note it feels derivative and messy by the end. Not particularly inspiring or original.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it 15+ for good reason. IMDb parent guide lists moderate violence/gore and moderate frightening/intense scenes, plus mild sexual content. As a vampire show, there's blood, violence, and supernatural horror elements that aren't appropriate for younger viewers. The content is predictable for the genre, but it's definitely not something you want a 10-year-old stumbling into. Plugged In describes it as 'rife with disturbing content and sexual material.'

Enriching

Offers some value in exploring LGBTQ+ teen romance and questions about identity, morality, and family expectations. The show does tackle the question of who the 'real monsters' are, which has ethical depth. However, critics gave it mixed-to-poor reviews (59% RT critics, 45 Metacritic), suggesting the execution doesn't fully deliver on its potential. The emotional core between the leads works, but the show was cancelled after one season, indicating it didn't resonate strongly enough.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Features a genuine LGBTQ+ teen romance as the central relationship without making it a 'very special episode'
Explores questions about morality, family loyalty, and who the real monsters are
The chemistry between the two leads works, even if the world around them gets chaotic
Audience score (89% on RT) suggests teens connected with it more than critics did

⚠

What to Watch For

Moderate vampire violence, blood, and gore—this isn't a sanitized supernatural romance
Sexual content and teen romance scenes that earn the 15+ rating
The show was cancelled after one season, so the story doesn't have closure
World-building gets messy and inconsistent as the season progresses
Critics were significantly less impressed than audiences (59% vs 89%)

Conversation Starters

"Both main characters are supposed to kill each other for their first 'assignment.' How would you handle being asked to do something that goes against what you believe is right?"
"The show asks who the real monsters are—the vampires or the hunters. What do you think makes someone a monster?"
"How do you think Juliette and Calliope's families would react differently if they were honest from the start?"

Deep Dive

The "Camp" Factor vs. The Critics

If you look at the gap between the critics (59% on Rotten Tomatoes) and the fans (89%), you’ll see exactly what kind of show this is. Critics wanted a tight, logical supernatural thriller with deep lore. Teens wanted a high-stakes queer romance with high production value. The fans won on the vibe, but the critics were right about the writing.

The dialogue can be undeniably cringey. It feels like it was written specifically to be clipped for TikTok or Instagram. If your teen is into the "enemies-to-lovers" trope, they will likely overlook the plot holes because the central relationship is genuinely compelling. It’s refreshing to see a show where the "struggle" isn't about being gay; it’s about the fact that one family kills what the other family is. It treats the LGBTQ+ romance as the default, which is a major reason it resonated so deeply with its audience despite the low Metacritic score.

The One-Season Problem

The biggest hurdle for any parent or teen starting First Kill now is the "Netflix Curse." The show was cancelled after eight episodes, and it does not have a tidy ending. It ends on a massive cliffhanger that will never be resolved.

If your kid is the type who gets frustrated by unfinished stories, this will be a headache. However, if they just want a weekend binge that fits into the Vampire TV Shows for Teens: What Parents Should Know ecosystem, it’s a fun, fast ride. Just warn them ahead of time: the "First" in the title is also the "Last."

Blood, Gore, and Tone

Don’t let the teen-romance label fool you into thinking this is a bloodless affair. The violence is frequent. Since the premise involves a "first kill" as a rite of passage, you’re looking at stabbings, throat-biting, and a fair amount of monster-related gore.

It’s more visceral than Twilight but less nihilistic than some of the R-rated vampire fare on other streamers. It sits in that 15+ sweet spot where the stakes feel real because people actually get hurt. If you’re trying to figure out where this fits in your household's media diet, think of it as a slightly more modern, more diverse, but significantly more messy version of the supernatural dramas that populated the CW for a decade. It’s comfort food with a bit of a bite.

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