Series · Documentary, Sports · 2020 · TV-MA

The Last Dance: parents' guide

14+our pick

Best for ages 14 and up. Rated TV-MA.

A gripping 10-part sports documentary for basketball-loving teens, best watched with a parent. It follows Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls through six championships, using rare behind-the-scenes footage and new interviews. The unedited cut, rated TV-MA on Netflix, has frequent f-words; ESPN2 and ABC aired a family version with most profanity removed. Other mature material: talk of teammates' cocaine use in the 1980s, Jordan's gambling, Dennis Rodman's partying, the murder of Jordan's father, and a brief mention of Rodman's alleged suicide attempt. We suggest 14 because the content is mostly language, and the edited version suits younger fans.

What's in it

Violence

Mild

Archive game footage shows on-court shoving, hard fouls and scuffles, but nobody is badly hurt on screen. The 1993 killing of Jordan's father is covered through news reports and interviews rather than shown.

Language

Strong

In the unedited version, f-words come up often in interviews and locker-room footage, along with 'bulls--t,' 'piss,' 'hell' and God's name in vain. The ESPN2 and ABC family edit bleeps most of it.

Sex and nudity

Mild

No sex scenes. There is some talk about dating and a player's sexuality, crude remarks by Rodman about women, and a party clip of a shirtless Rodman with his lower half blurred.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Moderate

Champagne and beer flow at title celebrations, hard liquor is visible, and Jordan often smokes cigars. Brief clips show Rodman partying, and Jordan recalls teammates using cocaine early in his career.

Scary or intense scenes

Mild

Little that is scary. Heavier moments include the grief over Jordan's father's killing, a team bodyguard's cancer, injuries and illness in players' families, and a brief account of Rodman being found with a gun in an alleged suicide attempt.

Sensitive topics

  • Death of a parent
  • Suicide

Worth talking about

Jordan's relentless drive helped win six titles, but some teammates felt mistreated by him. Where is the line between pushing people to be their best and bullying them?

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, movieguide.org, netflix.com, Wikipedia, bbfc.co.uk. 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.