Sunderland 'Til I Die – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Sunderland 'Til I Die

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2018

62%

WISE Score

Fly-on-the-wall doc following Sunderland FC's spectacular collapse—heartbreak, f-bombs, and Newcastle rivalry for football fans only.

Sunderland 'Til I Die

show

TV-MA, 2018

62%

WISE Score

Fly-on-the-wall doc following Sunderland FC's spectacular collapse—heartbreak, f-bombs, and Newcastle rivalry for football fans only.

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Screenwise Verdict

Here's the deal: if your teen loves football (the kind with the round ball), this is a fascinating, heartbreaking look at a historic club in freefall. The access is incredible, the drama is real, and it's genuinely well-made.

But let's be honest—this is NOT for everyone. It's slow-paced, emotionally draining, and assumes you care deeply about English football. The language is rough throughout (think British working-class rough), and there's a pervasive sadness as you watch a community's pride get relegated to League One.

For the right audience (football-obsessed teens, Anglophiles, sports management nerds), it's compelling. For everyone else? You'll be checking your phone by episode two. The IMDB 8.1 reflects its appeal to its target demographic—but that demographic is narrow.

Age Fit

This is squarely for older teens (16+) and adults, particularly those with an existing interest in football/soccer. The language alone makes it inappropriate for younger viewers, and the niche subject matter means most kids would find it deadly dull anyway.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Docuseries follows a struggling English football club with authentic emotion and community spirit. Shows resilience, teamwork, and loyalty, though includes adult language, drinking culture typical of British football, and some emotionally intense moments of disappointment and conflict. Models dedication but also captures raw frustration and occasional poor behavior under pressure.

Imaginative

Standard sports documentary format with competent but conventional storytelling. Offers behind-the-scenes access to professional football operations, which is interesting for fans, but doesn't break new ground in documentary filmmaking. Limited creative spark beyond capturing real drama as it unfolds. More observational than innovative.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it 17+. Contains frequent strong language (British profanity), drinking scenes, intense emotional moments, and some aggressive confrontations typical of high-stakes sports environments. No graphic violence, nudity, or sexual content, but the raw language and adult themes make it inappropriate for younger viewers. Emotionally safe for teens who can handle sports disappointment and workplace tension.

Enriching

IMDb 8.1 suggests strong viewer appreciation. Provides genuine insight into professional sports management, community identity, working-class culture in Northeast England, and how a football club functions as social glue. Shows real consequences of decisions, financial pressures, and human cost of failure. Enriching for understanding sports business, regional pride, and handling disappointment, though entertainment value is niche—primarily appeals to football fans or documentary enthusiasts.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Authentic look at professional sports management and the business side of football—great for teens interested in sports careers beyond playing
Explores community identity and how a football club represents working-class pride in Northeast England
Models resilience and perseverance through devastating setbacks (though spoiler: it gets worse before it gets... well, worse)
Genuine human drama without manufactured reality TV nonsense—these are real stakes and real emotions

⚠

What to Watch For

Constant strong language—British profanity flows freely in locker rooms and boardrooms
Drinking culture is present throughout (pub scenes, post-match pints)
Emotionally heavy—watching a beloved club spiral into failure is genuinely depressing
Very niche appeal—if you don't care about football/soccer, this will be boring as hell

Conversation Starters

"What do you think makes people so passionate about their local sports teams?"
"The owners made some big financial gambles that didn't pay off—what would you have done differently?"
"How do you think the players handle the pressure when an entire city is counting on them?"
"Why do you think football clubs matter so much to working-class communities in England?"

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