7.9
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Lessons in Chemistry (2023)
Lessons in Chemistry (2023)
Overview
In the 1950s, Elizabeth Zott's dream of being a scientist is challenged by a society that says women belong in the domestic sphere. She accepts a job on a TV cooking show and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives way more than recipes.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Apple TVRating & Dimensions
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Progressive
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Christianity: Negative
Viewer Rating
7.9
Overview
In the 1950s, Elizabeth Zott's dream of being a scientist is challenged by a society that says women belong in the domestic sphere. She accepts a job on a TV cooking show and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives way more than recipes.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Apple TVDetailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Progressive
Primary
The film's central thesis explicitly promotes progressive ideology by critiquing systemic sexism and patriarchal structures in the 1950s, championing women's rights, independence, and empowerment through social activism.
The series features intentional racial recasting, reimagining a key character as a Black woman to introduce themes of racial equity and intersectionality. Its narrative strongly critiques 1950s patriarchal norms and systemic sexism, while also exploring racial injustice and white privilege, making these DEI themes central to the storytelling.
Secondary
Lessons in Chemistry portrays LGBTQ+ themes through Elizabeth Zott's brother, John, whose suicide results from his father's homophobia and 1950s societal stigma. While tragic, the narrative uses John's story to critique historical oppression and highlight the struggles of marginalized groups. This framing underscores broader themes of social justice, affirming the worth of LGBTQ+ lives by lamenting the destructive impact of prejudice.
The series predominantly portrays Christianity, especially organized religion like the Catholic Church, in a negative light, highlighting institutional cruelty and depicting many Christian characters as unkind or intellectually gullible. The narrative largely frames faith as wishful thinking in conflict with scientific evidence.
Lessons in Chemistry (2023) does not feature transsexual characters or themes within its narrative. The show centers on gender roles and sexism in science during the 1960s, and there is no depiction or engagement with the trans community in its plot or character arcs.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The series portrays all main and supporting characters with genders consistent with their established roles in the source novel and historical context, with no evidence of any character's on-screen gender differing from their original canonical gender.
The provided information indicates no character in "Lessons in Chemistry" had a canonically established race in the source material that was changed for the screen. Elizabeth Zott's race was unspecified, and Harriet Sloane's casting is described as authentic to her character's ethnicity.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
8.2
8.3
Critic Ratings
8.3
6.8
More Like This
Leans Progressive
9.4
In Trousers
(1979)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Low
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
7.1
Sheepdog
(2026)
Political: Not Rated
Diversity: Not Rated
Progressive
8.8
12 Years a Slave
(2013)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
Progressive
7.0
Harriet
(2019)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
Progressive
7.5
My Old Ass
(2024)
Political: Center
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
8.0
Valerian
(2004)
Political: Not Rated
Diversity: Not Rated
Progressive
6.6
Babylon
(2022)
Political: Center
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
7.8
Luca
(2021)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
7.7
May December
(2023)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
6.7
The Ballad of Little Jo
(1993)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
7.7
She Said
(2022)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
Progressive
7.9
West Side Story
(2021)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
6.7
The Threesome
(2025)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
6.6
Gladiator II
(2024)
Political: Not Rated
Diversity: Not Rated
Progressive
7.8
The Half of It
(2020)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
8.2
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
(2023)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
6.9
The Passenger
(2023)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Neutral
Leans Progressive
7.2
Fair Play
(2023)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
7.8
The Descendants
(2011)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
8.4
Django Unchained
(2012)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High