Grimm – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Grimm

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2011

48%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Fairy tales meet forensics in this dark supernatural procedural where a Portland detective hunts creatures from Grimm Brothers lore.

89%

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Grimm

show

TV-14, 2011

48%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Fairy tales meet forensics in this dark supernatural procedural where a Portland detective hunts creatures from Grimm Brothers lore.

89%

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Screenwise Verdict

Grimm is solid supernatural procedural TV that does something genuinely creative with fairy tale mythology. The ratings are strong, the premise is clever, and if your teen is into shows like Supernatural or Buffy (but darker), this delivers.

That said, it's not for younger kids—at all. The violence is real crime show violence with bodies and gore, not action movie stuff. The horror elements are legitimately scary. And while it explores some interesting themes about identity and prejudice, you're mainly here for monster-of-the-week detective work.

The 2011 vintage shows a bit—pacing can drag, effects are TV-budget, and six seasons is a commitment. But for the right teen or adult who wants to binge a complete supernatural series? It holds up better than most of its era. Just know what you're getting into: this is dark, violent, and absolutely not family viewing.

Age Fit

This is firmly 14+ territory, best for high schoolers who like supernatural horror and can handle procedural crime violence. Adults who enjoy genre TV will find it engaging too—it ran 6 seasons for a reason.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Grimm is a dark fantasy crime procedural where fairy tale creatures commit murders and the protagonist decapitates monsters. While it explores themes of duty and family, the tone is grim (pun intended), violent, and often disturbing. Not modeling kindness so much as survival in a monster-filled world. The pacing is TV-standard but the emotional content skews dark and intense.

Imaginative

The premise is genuinely creative: a homicide detective discovers he's descended from a line of guardians who hunt supernatural creatures based on Grimm fairy tales. The show reimagines classic stories in a modern Portland setting with a rich mythology of Wesen (creature) lore. It invites curiosity about folklore origins and builds an elaborate supernatural world, though it's more about consuming the mythology than creating within it.

Safe

This is a procedural crime show with supernatural horror elements. Expect graphic violence, monster transformations that can be genuinely scary, murder investigations with bodies, some sexual content, and intense themes. Common Sense Media rates it 14+, which tracks. The violence isn't gratuitous Marvel-style action—it's crime scene gore and horror scares. Definitely not something a younger kid should stumble into unexpectedly.

Enriching

Grimm does interesting work exploring fairy tale origins and cultural mythology from a detective's perspective. It touches on themes of identity, heritage, prejudice (between humans and Wesen), and moral complexity. The procedural format offers problem-solving elements, and the mythology is genuinely educational about Grimm Brothers tales. However, it's primarily entertainment—you're not walking away with deep insights, just solid genre TV that makes you think a bit about folklore.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Clever mashup of crime procedural and fairy tale mythology that actually works
Strong ratings across the board (89% RT critics, 90% audience, 7.9 IMDb) suggest quality execution
Rich world-building with Wesen lore that rewards investment across 6 seasons
For teens into horror/fantasy, offers discussion points about folklore origins and cultural stories
Explores themes of identity, heritage, and prejudice through supernatural lens

⚠

What to Watch For

Graphic violence and crime scene gore—this isn't Supernatural's campy violence, it's procedural crime show stuff
Genuinely scary monster transformations and horror elements that can be intense
Sexual content and mature themes throughout (it's a grown-up show)
Six seasons means serious time commitment, and early 2010s TV pacing can drag

Conversation Starters

"Which fairy tales did you recognize getting the Grimm treatment? How were they different from the Disney versions?"
"Do you think the Wesen are right to hide their identities, or should they reveal themselves to humans?"
"If you could be any type of Wesen creature, which would you choose and why?"
"The show explores prejudice between species—how does that mirror real-world discrimination?"

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