The Get Down – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Get Down

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2016

72%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Baz Luhrmann's dazzling, messy, music-soaked origin story of hip-hop—brilliant but definitely not for the kids.

81%

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The Get Down

show

TV-MA, 2016

72%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Baz Luhrmann's dazzling, messy, music-soaked origin story of hip-hop—brilliant but definitely not for the kids.

81%

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Screenwise Verdict

The Get Down is ambitious, gorgeous, and genuinely educational about a transformative moment in music history. Luhrmann throws everything at the screen—fantasy sequences, romance, street drama, disco vs. punk vs. hip-hop—and somehow it mostly works. The young cast is magnetic, the music is fire, and the love for the culture is real.

But let's be clear: this is not a family show. The mature content is woven throughout, and Common Sense Media's 15+ rating is spot-on. If your teen is into music, history, or just wants to understand where hip-hop came from, this is a spectacular watch—but only if they're ready for the gritty reality of 1970s inner-city life.

The show was expensive, got mixed critical reviews (though audiences loved it), and Netflix cancelled it after one season. That's a bummer because the story doesn't fully resolve, but what's there is still worth watching for the right audience.

Age Fit

This is squarely for older teens (15+) and adults who want a passionate, stylized look at hip-hop's birth. The mature content is constant and authentic to the era, not something you can fast-forward through. Younger teens will miss the cultural context and shouldn't be exposed to the explicit material.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Set against the gritty reality of 1977 South Bronx, the show captures authentic struggles of teens navigating poverty, gang tension, and systemic neglect. While it models ambition and creative passion, it's steeped in explicit language, substance use, sexual content, and street violence that reflect the harsh environment. The emotional core—kids chasing dreams through music—is genuinely inspiring, but the mature content and chaotic energy of Luhrmann's style make it far from traditionally wholesome.

Imaginative

Baz Luhrmann brings his signature maximalist vision to the birth of hip-hop, blending dazzling musical sequences, fantasy elements, and historical recreation. The show celebrates creative expression at its core—DJing, MCing, graffiti, breaking—and invites viewers into a transformative cultural moment. It's visually inventive, musically ambitious, and captures the raw creative energy of kids literally inventing a new art form from scratch records and turntables.

Safe

Common Sense Media flags explicit language, drug and alcohol use, sexual references with brief nudity, and violent street confrontations. These aren't gratuitous—they're authentic to the setting—but they're frequent enough to make this inappropriate for younger viewers. The show doesn't shy away from the dangers and realities of 1970s inner-city life, including gang violence and substance abuse. Recommended for 14-15+ for good reason.

Enriching

This is a love letter to hip-hop's origins and a window into a pivotal cultural moment. Viewers learn about the socioeconomic forces that shaped the Bronx, the technical innovation of early DJs, and the resilience of communities creating art from nothing. The show tackles systemic racism, urban decay, and the power of artistic expression as resistance. For teens who can handle the content, it's genuinely educational about music history and offers meaningful commentary on creativity, ambition, and survival.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Captures the electric birth of hip-hop with infectious energy and genuine reverence for the culture
Visually stunning with Luhrmann's signature maximalist style and inventive musical sequences
Authentic portrayal of 1970s Bronx life, systemic challenges, and the power of creative expression
Strong performances from diverse young cast bringing fresh faces and real passion
Educational deep-dive into DJing, MCing, and the technical innovation that created a genre

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What to Watch For

Frequent explicit language, drug/alcohol use, sexual content, and street violence throughout
Chaotic pacing and fantasy elements may confuse or overwhelm some viewers
Gritty depiction of poverty, gang tension, and urban decay requires emotional maturity
Cancelled after one season (Part 2 aired 2017), so story doesn't fully resolve

Conversation Starters

"What do you think it was like to be a teenager in the Bronx during the 1970s when the city was basically abandoning your neighborhood?"
"How did these kids create something completely new with just turntables and records? What does that say about creativity and resourcefulness?"
"The show depicts a lot of tough realities—violence, drugs, poverty. How do you think those challenges shaped the music they were making?"
"Why do you think hip-hop became such a powerful cultural force? What was it giving people that they weren't getting anywhere else?"

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