PEN15
R-Rated. Cringeworthy. Middle school.
Created by Anna Konkle, Sam Zvibleman, Maya Erskine
On Hulu
An R-rated comedy that mines the social mortification and emotional volatility of middle school through the surreal device of adult actors playing thirteen-year-olds among actual children.
Middle school as it really happened. Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle star in this adult comedy, playing versions of themselves as thirteen-year-old outcasts in the year 2000, surrounded by actual thirteen-year-olds, where the best day of your life can turn into your worst with the stroke of a gel pen.
Clusters
Genres
Where to watch
Questions people ask
Is PEN15 one of a kind? Yes, very. More singular than 98% of series.
Is PEN15 violent? Barely. Less violent than 78% of series.
Is PEN15 sad? Somewhat. More sad than 72% of series.
Is PEN15 scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 66% of series.
Is PEN15 easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 61% of series.
Does PEN15 leave you hopeful? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
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
Everything like PEN15, and what each one shares →
Like PEN15
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as PEN15
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like PEN15, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like PEN15, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like PEN15, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
