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The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy

Too many siblings. Not enough timeline.

2019–2024Ended4 seasons36 episodes~60 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

Reunited by their father's death, estranged siblings with extraordinary powers uncover shocking family secrets — and a looming threat to humanity.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Umbrella Academy?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Umbrella Academy streaming on Netflix.

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Highlights

What stands out about The Umbrella Academy?

The Umbrella Academy earns 5 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is The Umbrella Academy worth watching?

The Umbrella Academy's Midcredits score is the 87th percentile of all shows, from 329K ratings across 2 sources. 83% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

87th percentile

Better received than 87% of shows

84th percentile among Action86th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)90th
Approval (how many liked it)79th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

81 /100

90th percentile of all shows

91st percentile among Action89th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

83% liked it

79th percentile of all shows

70th percentile among Action77th percentile among 2010s
83% rated it 7–1017% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

99th percentile

319K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 3% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the first two seasons are strong, with compelling characters and a fresh superhero twist, but the later seasons lose coherence and emotional grip.

Fans praised

  • quirky, well-drawn characters blending powers with everyday problems
  • standout action cinematography and creative visual effects
  • distinctive soundtrack and strong music choices throughout the run

Detractors panned

  • plot logic collapses and plot holes accumulate as it goes on
  • final seasons feel rushed, low-budget, and full of filler
  • character development flattens into inconsistent or unearned choices

What stands out

Sound and musicDivisive82

show-stopping music selection elevates every scene

Originality80

fresh blend of superhero, family drama, and apocalyptic stakes

Acting78

cast praised as phenomenal, even when material weakens

CharactersDivisive75

quirky, well-developed in early seasons but inconsistent later

Effects and spectacleDivisive75

solid effects and creative set pieces, but later budget feels lower

Emotional impactDivisive65

character investment pays off early, but finale falls flat

Plot and storyDivisive45

intriguing start, but time-travel logic and finale lose coherence

Ending30

widely panned as unsatisfying and disappointing

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 32 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 9 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Episodes

4 seasons

Season 4 · 2024 · 6 episodes · 6.6 average across 6 rated episodes

  • S4E1

    The Unbearable Tragedy of Getting What You Want

    Aug 8, 202453 minTMDB rating 7.1Season best
  • S4E2

    Jean and Gene

    Aug 8, 202448 minTMDB rating 7.0
  • S4E3

    The Squid and the Girl

    Aug 8, 202457 minTMDB rating 6.8
  • S4E4

    The Cleanse

    Aug 8, 202456 minTMDB rating 7.0
  • S4E5

    Six Years, Five Months, and Two Days

    Aug 8, 202459 minTMDB rating 6.1
  • S4E6

    End of the Beginning

    Aug 8, 202470 minTMDB rating 5.8Finale

Watch experience

What is The Umbrella Academy like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you bittersweet.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicAbsurd
Heaviest: late
Witty humor
Register
Whimsical · 2% of showsMelodramatic · 9% of shows: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Nonlinear · 5% of shows: Events shown out of chronological order.Multiple perspectives · 2% of shows: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.SerializedNew arc each season
ToneThe show plays its comic-book absurdity and heartfelt family drama entirely straight, never winking at its own material.
The rideThe series maintains a tense, often melancholic atmosphere as the apocalypse looms, punctuated by absurd humor, with the emotional weight building toward the season's climax.
StructureThe show uses time travel and alternate timelines, frequently showing events out of order, and shifts between the siblings' individual perspectives across seasons.
Episode formatEach episode continues the season-long story of the siblings' reunion and their mission to stop the apocalypse, as indicated by the synopsis.
Season formatWhile based on the first volume, the series is likely to feature a new arc per season, with the same core cast facing different apocalyptic threats.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
BittersweetWistful · 6% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves a lingering sense of what it could have been, with fond memories of its inventive first seasons shadowed by an unsatisfying conclusion.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

6% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe series follows the estranged superhero siblings reassembling to avert a series of apocalyptic events, each season presenting a defined mission to save the world while navigating alternate timelines and paradoxes.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsIdentityPurpose
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series centrally explores the fractured yet enduring bonds among the Hargreeves siblings, while also delving into each member's struggle with their own identity and purpose as they reunite to face a world-ending threat.
StanceThe series interrogates the concept of family bonds, questioning whether such bonds can hold together against betrayal, secrets, and personal trauma, rather than simply celebrating them.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernSupportive music · hybrid
Settingan eccentric mansion and various global locations in a slightly surreal, comic-book version of the present day

Content guide

Is The Umbrella Academy okay for kids?

TV-14

The Umbrella Academy is rated TV-14. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (73/100), sexual content at moderate (38/100), language at moderate (52/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (64/100) and frightening material at moderate (52/100). Overall it is heavier than 81% of TV-14 shows.

Ratings in 27 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland15
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Austria16
  • Czechia18+
  • FinlandK16
  • Greece16
  • Hungary16
  • IDD
  • IndiaU/A 16+
  • MexicoC
  • MY18
  • Netherlands16
  • Poland16
  • Portugal16
  • ROAP
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporeR21
  • Spain16
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye18+
  • UA16+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 64% of all showsHeavier than 81% of TV-14 shows
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 85%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 50%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 75%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 91%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 55%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and drug and alcohol content.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does The Umbrella Academy have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Umbrella Academy?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Elliot Page
as Vanya Hargreeves
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Tom Hopper
as Luther Hargreeves
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
David Castañeda
as Diego Hargreeves
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Emmy Raver-Lampman
as Allison Hargreeves
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Robert Sheehan
as Klaus Hargreeves
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Aidan Gallagher
as Number Five
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Justin H. Min
as Ben Hargreeves
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Colm Feore
as Reginald Hargreeves
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Ritu Arya
as Lila Pitts
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jordan Claire Robbins
as Grace
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

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