John from Cincinnati
Created by Kem Nunn, David Milch
On HBO
A strange, spiritually inflected drama about a dysfunctional surfing family disrupted by mysterious arrivals, built on ambiguity and metaphysical unease rather than conventional narrative resolution.
In Imperial Beach, California, the Yosts—a dysfunctional family of surfers—intersect with two new arrivals to the community: a dim-but-wealthy surfing enthusiast and man spurned by the Yosts years ago.
Genres
Questions people ask
Does John from Cincinnati leave you hopeful? Not especially. Less hopeful than 73% of series.
Is John from Cincinnati sad? Somewhat. More sad than 72% of series.
Is John from Cincinnati violent? Not especially. Less violent than 70% of series.
Is John from Cincinnati easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 70% of series.
Is John from Cincinnati scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 59% of series.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Distinctly its own thing.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like John from Cincinnati
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as John from Cincinnati
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like John from Cincinnati, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like John from Cincinnati, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like John from Cincinnati, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
