Contributor: Lauren Cook

Lauren Cook Bio Pic

Lauren Cook is serving as a 2021 summer intern for the Parenting and Youth department at Focus on the Family. She is studying film and screenwriting at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. You can get her talking for hours about anything from Star Wars to her family to how Inception was the best movie of the 2010s. But more than anything, she’s passionate about showing how every form of art in some way reflects the Gospel. Coffee is a close second.

transformer robots

Transformers: War for Cybertron: Kingdom

Older kids might enjoy the series, but younger ones may be put off by frightening content and a convoluted plot.

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Jellystone!

The Yogi Bear revival provides fun, if mindless, adventures for a new generation to enjoy.

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Two women walking

Dead Pixels

While this British import captures gaming culture reasonably well, what we see on screen can be pretty graphic.

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animals attend high school

Beastars

The anime series presents an interesting world, but it’s weighed down by sexual content and questionable themes.

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Jolt movie

Jolt

Jolt is frustrating in that it doesn’t give its audience much to root for.

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A young woman dressed as an old one for a heist

Heist

Heist’s message about the pointlessness of crime doesn’t exactly excuse the questionable methods it uses to get it across.

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Good Mythical Morning youtube video

Good Mythical Morning

The incredibly popular YouTube variety show juggles family friendly fun and games with less innocuous references.

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H.E.R. Back of My Mind album cover

Back of My Mind

The rising R&B star’s full-length album is full of emotion and honesty, as well as confused interpretations of love.

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A family portrait from the movie "The Guide to the Perfect Family."

The Guide to the Perfect Family

The Guide to the Perfect Family wants you to know that the picturesque family you follow on Instagram probably has the same issues you do.

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People meditating

The White Lotus

The dramedy lives up to HBO’s brand of showing anything and everything with barely a semblance of restraint.

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woman and girl on an elevator with a gun

Gunpowder Milkshake

There’s a lot about our heroine worth commending—just as there’s a lot about her, and the film itself, that isn’t.

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Olivia Rodrigo sour album cover

SOUR

Olivia Rodrigo’s sound and story are connecting with young fans. But her vulnerable appeal comes with some baggage.

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A girl at the bureau

The Bureau of Magical Things

The Australian series provides a clean, family friendly alternative to other less innocuous fantasy worlds.

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David Dobrik youtube video

David Dobrik

One of YouTube’s most popular vloggers returns from hiatus, bringing his old, problematic content back with him.

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three birds driving a car

Tuca & Bertie

The adult animation hides commendable themes of friendship and support in a sea of crass and objectionable content.

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