Is ‘Lockwood & Co’ scary? The Netflix thriller, explained

There’s a new supernatural thriller on the block, and it goes by the name Lockwood & Co. 

Filled to the brim with a talented young cast, paranormal stories, and source material rife with potential, Netflix’s Lockwood & Co has all the makings of a hit. The eight-episode first season, which premieres Friday Jan. 27, is based on the novel series by Jonathan Stroud. 

Set in the heart of London, where ghosts have run rampant for more than fifty years, Lucy Carlyle (Ruby Stokes), a young and psychically gifted ghost hunter, goes in search of a noteworthy career, only to find herself at the doorstep of the young start-up agency Lockwood & Co.  

Faced with a set of obstacles that could either end her career short or kick-start it into overdrive, Lucy and her renegade co-workers Anthony Lockwood (Cameron Chapman) and George Karim (Ali Hadji-Heshmati) set out to “unravel a terrifying mystery that will change the course of history” and hopefully live to tell the tale when all is said and done.

How scary is Netflix’s Lockwood & Co?

Supernatual thrillers are — by nature — full of scary aspects, although just how scary that resonates with the viewer is dependent on experience in the genre. 

By no means is Lockwood & Co equivalent to, say, Annabelle or Hereditary, in the sense of being bone-chilling and horrifying — it is based on a young adult novel after all — but that doesn’t mean it’s not suspenseful. The trailer alone paints a very vivid picture of the fast-paced nature of things and the high-stakes obstacles put in the path of our main characters. 

Those who struggle with jumpscares or paranormal situations such as ghosts and malevolent spirits might find Lockwood & Co scary, or at minimum frightening. However, it’s much more likely that the show will be suspenseful and heart-pounding than blood-curdling and terrifying. 

Netflix has given the show a maturity rating of TV-14, which means it “may not be suitable for ages under 14” and “parents strongly cautioned.” 

Lockwood & Co premieres Jan. 27 on Netflix.