The Queen's Gambit – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Queen's Gambit

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2020

58%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Gorgeous chess drama with a brilliant female lead—but heavy on pills, booze, and bed scenes. Definitely not family game night material.

96%

8.5

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The Queen's Gambit

show

TV-MA, 2020

58%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Gorgeous chess drama with a brilliant female lead—but heavy on pills, booze, and bed scenes. Definitely not family game night material.

96%

8.5

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96%

8.5

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Screenwise Verdict

The Queen's Gambit is genuinely excellent television—gorgeous, gripping, and surprisingly moving. It made chess sexy (who knew?) and launched a thousand new players. Anya Taylor-Joy is magnetic, the 1960s aesthetic is swoon-worthy, and the story of a woman crushing it in a male domain is empowering.

BUT. This is absolutely not family viewing. The show doesn't shy away from showing a child being drugged in an orphanage, and addiction is the co-star throughout all seven episodes. There's sex, nudity, and heavy drinking. It's mature in the truest sense—sophisticated storytelling that requires emotional maturity to process.

For older teens (think juniors/seniors in high school) who can handle complex themes, this could be a fantastic watch-together experience with rich discussion potential about addiction, ambition, gender, and genius. For anyone younger? Hard pass. Save this one for when they're older, or enjoy it on your own after bedtime.

Age Fit

This is strictly 16+ territory (really more 17-18+). Despite having a young protagonist, the mature content—addiction, sex, substance abuse—makes it inappropriate for younger teens. Adults and older high schoolers will appreciate its artistry and depth.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

While the show portrays a compelling journey of a gifted young woman, it centers heavily on addiction (tranquilizers, alcohol) starting from childhood in an orphanage. The protagonist's struggles with substance abuse are a core theme throughout, which undermines emotional health modeling. There are positive relationships and mentorship, but the pervasive addiction narrative and some romantic/sexual content limits wholesomeness.

Imaginative

The show presents chess as a visually stunning, almost hallucinogenic art form with creative cinematography showing pieces moving on ceilings and innovative game visualization. It takes a niche intellectual pursuit and makes it feel thrilling and imaginative. The 1950s-60s period setting is richly realized with gorgeous production design. However, it's more about appreciating someone else's genius than inviting the viewer to create or explore themselves.

Safe

Multiple significant safety concerns: explicit drug use (pills, alcohol) starting with a child, sexual content including nudity and sex scenes, mature themes of addiction and abandonment, some violence. The show earned a TV-MA equivalent rating (though not specified in data). A young child stumbling onto this would encounter inappropriate content immediately. Not suitable for family viewing with kids present.

Enriching

Exceptionally enriching for mature teens and adults: showcases a brilliant female protagonist in a male-dominated field during the 1960s, explores themes of genius and its costs, demonstrates strategic thinking through chess, and offers nuanced character development. The show sparked massive interest in chess globally (real-world impact). It tackles addiction, trauma, and personal growth with sophistication. Strong TMDB rating of 8.5 reflects its quality.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Stunning cinematography that makes chess look like visual poetry—even non-players found it riveting
Empowering story of a woman dominating a male field in the 1960s, great for discussions about gender barriers and perseverance
Sparked a global chess renaissance—sales of chess sets exploded after this dropped
Nuanced exploration of genius, trauma, and what success actually costs
Anya Taylor-Joy's performance is mesmerizing; the production design is period-perfect eye candy

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What to Watch For

Explicit drug and alcohol abuse throughout—the orphanage literally drugs the kids with tranquilizers, and our protagonist battles addiction for the entire series
Sexual content including nudity and sex scenes (this is TV-MA territory)
Themes of abandonment, death of parents, and childhood trauma that could be triggering
Not appropriate for anyone under 16, despite the young protagonist—this is firmly adult content

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think Beth kept going back to pills and alcohol even when she knew they were hurting her?"
"What did you notice about how the men treated Beth differently as she got better at chess?"
"The show makes chess look almost magical—do you think that's what it feels like to be really good at something?"
"Beth had to choose between accepting help and proving she could do it alone. When have you faced that choice?"
"How did losing her mom shape who Beth became? Can trauma make you stronger and also mess you up at the same time?"

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