Progressive occult themes including ritual sacrifice, cannibalism, and dark supernatural practices — firmly in Avoid territory for Christians.
Yellowjackets has two timelines: the 1996 crash survivors in the wilderness, shown developing increasingly disturbing survival rituals as resources run out, and their adult selves in the present day dealing with the psychological aftermath and a blackmail threat. The show is critically acclaimed for its performances (Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci) and its mystery structure. The central mystery — what exactly happened in the wilderness, and how far did the survivors go? — gradually reveals increasingly disturbing answers involving ritualistic killing and cannibalism. The show frames this partly as trauma response and partly as something that invited real supernatural darkness.
By Season 2 and 3, Yellowjackets has moved significantly into occult territory. The survivors develop a quasi-religious system in the wilderness centered on 'the wilderness' as a divine force that requires sacrifice. Characters engage in ritual behaviors, draw lots to determine who will be sacrificed, and perform acts that are unambiguously occult in nature. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 explicitly prohibits divination, sorcery, and those who 'consult the dead' — practices that Yellowjackets depicts with increasing detail and, increasingly, with apparent supernatural legitimacy. The show does not treat the occult practices as mere delusion — it implies there may be genuine dark forces at work.
Yellowjackets contains graphic violence including cannibalism depicted in detail by Season 2 and 3. The survival situation results in increasingly disturbing acts that the show does not shy away from depicting. Sexual content includes some nudity and adult relationships. The combination of graphic violence, cannibalism, and progressive occult content puts this show in a different category from merely dark or morally complex television. This is not a show depicting sin as cautionary — it is a show that asks viewers to follow characters as they enter into genuinely dark spiritual territory.
Some Christians have engaged with Yellowjackets as an exploration of how trauma and isolation can corrupt — a legitimate reading of the early seasons. But by Season 2-3, the show has moved into territory that Ephesians 5:11's instruction to 'have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness' directly addresses. Christians should avoid this show.
GodlyScore evaluates every show across nine signal categories grounded in Scripture: profanity (Ephesians 4:29), sexual content (1 Corinthians 6:18-20), violence (Psalm 11:5), LGBT normalization (Romans 1:24-27), spiritual darkness (Ephesians 5:11), glorification of sin (Romans 1:32), deception mechanics (Proverbs 12:22), virtue strength (Philippians 4:8), and redemption arc. The score reflects not just whether content is present but how it's framed — depicted critically, neutrally, or as aspirational. Yellowjackets scores see full guide.
See our Christian TV Reviews hub for comparisons. For episode-level content breakdowns, Plugged In and Common Sense Media complement GodlyScore's biblical framework. Age recommendation: older teenagers and adults.