The Thing About Pam – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Thing About Pam

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2022

28%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Renée Zellweger plays real-life murderer Pam Hupp in this dark true-crime drama that critics found uneven and audiences found... fine?

48%

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The Thing About Pam

show

TV-14, 2022

28%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Renée Zellweger plays real-life murderer Pam Hupp in this dark true-crime drama that critics found uneven and audiences found... fine?

48%

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, if you're a true-crime junkie who devoured the Dateline episodes about Pam Hupp, you might find this interesting. But here's the thing: the critics were lukewarm (48% on RT), and even audiences who generally love this stuff only gave it a 59%.

Renée Zellweger goes all-in on the role, but reviews suggest the show can't quite decide if it's a serious drama or a dark comedy, and that tonal confusion undercuts the real tragedy at its core. It's watchable if you're already invested in the case, but it's not essential viewing.

Obviously, this is absolutely not for kids or even young teens. The murder, manipulation, and psychological darkness make it strictly adult territory. And even for adults, it's more "fine" than "great"—a middling adaptation of a genuinely bonkers real story.

Age Fit

This is strictly for adults and possibly very mature older teens (17+). The subject matter—a real murder case with manipulation, deception, and disturbing details—makes it inappropriate for younger viewers, despite Common Sense Media's 14+ rating, which feels too permissive.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This true-crime dramatization centers on murder, manipulation, and a deeply disturbing criminal scheme. While it doesn't glorify violence, the subject matter—a brutal killing, wrongful conviction, and calculated deception—is inherently dark. The tone is serious and often unsettling, modeling deception rather than cooperation or kindness.

Imaginative

Based on a real case covered extensively by Dateline NBC, this series offers limited creative originality—it's a dramatized retelling of well-documented events. The narrative structure follows standard true-crime procedural beats without particularly innovative storytelling. Renée Zellweger's transformation into Pam Hupp shows creative casting, but overall it invites passive consumption rather than imagination or creative expression.

Safe

This is definitively unsafe for younger viewers. It depicts a real murder, includes disturbing crime details, shows manipulation and gaslighting, and explores a deeply troubling criminal conspiracy. Common Sense Media rates it 14+, but even that feels generous given the psychological darkness. The show contains mature themes of death, deception, and violence that would be inappropriate and potentially traumatic for younger audiences. Not something you'd want a kid stumbling into.

Enriching

As true crime, it offers some insight into criminal justice failures, wrongful conviction, and how manipulation works in real life. It could spark discussions about media literacy, the justice system, and how we evaluate evidence. However, the entertainment value is middling—mixed critical reception (48% RT critics, 55 Metacritic) suggests uneven execution. The show provides some ethical thinking opportunities about truth and justice, but it's not particularly elevating or skillfully crafted enough to be deeply enriching.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Based on a genuinely wild real case that became a Dateline obsession—if you loved the podcast, you might be curious
Renée Zellweger's committed (if divisive) performance as the manipulative Pam Hupp
Could spark conversations about wrongful convictions and how the justice system can fail
Explores the psychology of manipulation and gaslighting in a real-world context

⚠

What to Watch For

This is absolutely not for kids—murder, psychological manipulation, and deeply disturbing real events
Mixed reviews suggest the execution doesn't quite match the compelling source material
Some find the tone oddly campy for such dark subject matter, which may feel off-putting
True crime fatigue is real—if you're burned out on the genre, this won't change your mind

Conversation Starters

"How do you think someone like Pam Hupp was able to deceive so many people for so long?"
"What do you think about how the media covered this case? Did it help or hurt?"
"Why do you think wrongful convictions happen, and what could prevent them?"
"Do you think true crime shows serve a purpose, or are they just exploiting tragedy?"

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