Movie or TV show · High risk
Is Breaking Bad safe for your child?
Age guide
17+
We advise Breaking Bad from age 17 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk).
- 5-8
- Breaking Bad is entirely inappropriate for this age group due to its extremely mature themes, graphic violence, and explicit content.
- 9-12
- This series is not suitable for children in this age range, as it depicts drug manufacturing, murder, and intense moral decay in a realistic and disturbing manner.
- 13-15
- Breaking Bad's content, including severe violence, pervasive drug use, strong language, and sexual situations, makes it highly unsuitable for adolescents, even with parental supervision.
- 16+
- While older teens may be drawn to the show's critical acclaim, Breaking Bad contains graphic violence, explicit drug use, sexual content, and mature themes of crime and moral corruption that require a high level of maturity to process responsibly.
Breaking Bad is a critically acclaimed television series that follows the transformation of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher turned methamphetamine manufacturer. The show delves into themes of crime, morality, and the consequences of one's choices. It features intense character development and explores the impact of Walter's decisions on his family and associates. The narrative includes elements of suspense, drama, and dark humor, making it a complex viewing experience.
- Age guide
- 17+
- Overall risk
- 7/10
- Violence
- 8/10
- Toxic behaviour
- 9/10
- Stranger contact
- 2/10
- Addiction risk
- 7/10
- Language
- 9/10
- Influence
- 9/10
What parents should know
Breaking Bad is a highly acclaimed, adult-oriented drama that explicitly depicts crime, drug manufacturing, graphic violence, and mature sexual content. It is unequivocally not suitable for children or adolescents due to its pervasive mature themes and disturbing imagery. Parents should use robust parental controls on streaming platforms to prevent accidental viewing by younger family members.
What to do about Breaking Bad
Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.
- The age-by-age verdict
What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for Breaking Bad is 17+, and the answer changes with your child's age. - The one setting to change tonight
The exact Breaking Bad setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it. - What to say
Word-for-word openers for talking about Breaking Bad without a row. - Red flags to watch for
The signals in Breaking Bad that mean it is time to step in.
Breaking Bad age rating and parents guide: common questions
What age rating is Breaking Bad?
Parentwise puts Breaking Bad at 17+. We advise Breaking Bad from age 17 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk). Violence scores 8/10, language 9/10, stranger contact 2/10 and addiction risk 7/10.
Can a 10 year old watch Breaking Bad?
Not by default: we advise Breaking Bad from 17+, so at 10 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. This series is not suitable for children in this age range, as it depicts drug manufacturing, murder, and intense moral decay in a realistic and disturbing manner.
Can a 12 year old watch Breaking Bad?
Not by default: we advise Breaking Bad from 17+, so at 12 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. This series is not suitable for children in this age range, as it depicts drug manufacturing, murder, and intense moral decay in a realistic and disturbing manner.
Can a 13 year old watch Breaking Bad?
Not by default: we advise Breaking Bad from 17+, so at 13 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Breaking Bad's content, including severe violence, pervasive drug use, strong language, and sexual situations, makes it highly unsuitable for adolescents, even with parental supervision.
Is Breaking Bad appropriate for kids?
Breaking Bad is a highly acclaimed, adult-oriented drama that explicitly depicts crime, drug manufacturing, graphic violence, and mature sexual content. Parentwise rates Breaking Bad overall as high risk (7/10), with stranger contact at 2/10 and addiction risk at 7/10.
Is Breaking Bad family friendly?
Breaking Bad is one of the higher-risk titles we rate, so treat it as supervised rather than family viewing. It is unequivocally not suitable for children or adolescents due to its pervasive mature themes and disturbing imagery.
Breaking Bad parents guide: what should a parent know first?
Breaking Bad is a highly acclaimed, adult-oriented drama that explicitly depicts crime, drug manufacturing, graphic violence, and mature sexual content. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (2/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (7/10).
Is Breaking Bad safe for kids?
We advise Breaking Bad from age 17 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk). It is unequivocally not suitable for children or adolescents due to its pervasive mature themes and disturbing imagery.
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Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.