GOT Spinoff HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Amps Up ‘Grotesque’ Content
By Movieguide® Staff
HBO Max recently dropped its new GAME OF THRONES (GOT) spinoff series, HOUSE OF THE DRAGON.
The Warner Bros. Discovery streamer released the new fantasy series just weeks before Amazon Prime’s highly anticipated LORD OF THE RINGS spinoff series, THE RINGS OF POWER, launches on Sept. 2.
While similar in their scope, GOT and the original LOTR movies could not be more different concerning their content.
While Peter Jackson’s interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic books captures the heroic sacrifices of many in a time of war, he does so without excessive violence. Moreover, Jackson did not add immoral sexual content to pander to a particular audience. Instead, Jackson stayed true to the book’s virtuous and often biblical views of love and romance.
On the other hand, GOT dives head first into violence and sex, even adding explicit nudity and sexual content not included in George R. R. Martin’s original novels.
Unfortunately, it appears that HOUSE OF THE DRAGON is building upon what GOT started, utilizing HBO Max’s willingness to “broadcast the grotesque,” according to a series review from Variety.
“When it comes to the ways in which ‘Game of Thrones’ weaponized HBO’s willingness to broadcast the grotesque, ‘House of the Dragon’ goes still further, with sequences of genuinely nauseating violence unlike any this critic can recall,” the review reads. “But where the action — the dragon flights, the carnage — on HBO’s former hit was in service of the intrigue among a group of clans, here we’re watching a feud consume a single family. That’s the choice that gives ‘House of the Dragon’ its charge, and the one that may allow it to exist outside of the ‘Thrones’ shadow.”
According to the review, the show’s violence “can feel jaggedly amped-up,” and IMDb’s “Parent Ratings” tab notes that the show also continues to portray pornographic sex acts between characters.
Movieguide® previously reported of GOT:
The HBO series GAME OF THRONES has been quite comfortable with controversy for the eight years its been airing. Beyond the graphic sex scenes frequently included in the show, the series also includes many storylines that include incest, extreme bloody violence and multiple graphic depictions of rape that are clearly gratuitous, even from the perspective of mainstream and liberal critics.
However, somehow the creators manage to convince viewers that what they’re watching isn’t pornography, meant to titillate and shock, but is instead “art.” Even many Christian viewers find ways to excuse the show so they can enjoy some entertainment they find compelling and exciting. That said, recent data from the X-rated site Pornhub, as reported in The Daily Mail, reveals that GAME OF THRONES not only is linked to pornography usage, but scenes from the show are being used as porn directly.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
