Alone: parents' guide
Best for ages 12 and up. Rated TV-14.
A gripping survival documentary for outdoorsy tweens and teens who are fine watching hunting. Contestants are dropped alone in remote wilderness with ten items and film themselves for as long as they can last, so killing and butchering animals on camera is a regular part of staying fed. Bears, wolves and cougars prowl near camps, injuries and starvation lead to medical evacuations, and loneliness brings many to tears. Language is mild with stronger words bleeped, and there is no sex or drinking. About 12 and up; younger animal lovers may find it upsetting.
What's in it
Violence
ModerateAnimals are trapped, shot with arrows, killed, skinned and butchered on camera, from fish and rabbits to large game. Contestants also suffer mishaps with arrows and fish hooks.
Language
MildMild words like 'hell' and 'crap' are heard, and stronger cursing, often out of frustration or pain, is bleeped.
Sex and nudity
NoneNo sexual content or nudity. The only romance is contestants talking about, and tearfully missing, their spouses and partners back home.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
NoneNo alcohol, drugs or smoking are noted. Contestants are alone in the wild with only the gear they chose to bring.
Scary or intense scenes
ModeratePredators such as bears, cougars and wolves come near camp, and contestants fear attacks at night. Extreme hunger, cold, injuries and medical pull-outs are tense, and isolation leads to emotional breakdowns.
Sensitive topics
- Animal death
Worth talking about
Many contestants say isolation taught them how much their families matter. Talk about what your teen would miss most, and about the ethics of hunting to survive.
On our lists
Similar picks around 12+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Wikipedia. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.