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The Secret Life of Our Pets

The Secret Life of Our Pets

2021–Ongoing1 season4 episodes~46 min/epMidcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

With the help of the latest science and new camera technology, this exciting show reveals that our pets are hiding incredible superpowers and quirks of evolution.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Secret Life of Our Pets?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Secret Life of Our Pets streaming on Netflix.

Subscription

Highlights

What stands out about The Secret Life of Our Pets?

The Secret Life of Our Pets earns 2 badges, led by Feel-good and Broadly Agreed.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is The Secret Life of Our Pets worth watching?

The Secret Life of Our Pets' Midcredits score is the 54th percentile of all shows, from 112 ratings across 2 sources. 69% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

54th percentile

Better received than 54% of shows

45th percentile among Documentary59th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)60th
Approval (how many liked it)48th

Acclaim

Broadly Agreed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

73 /100

60th percentile of all shows

49th percentile among Documentary65th percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.9 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

69% liked it

48th percentile of all shows

42nd percentile among Documentary53rd percentile among 2020s
69% rated it 7–1031% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

19th percentile

85 ratings across platforms

37th percentile among Documentary17th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 32% in 30 days

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2022 · 4 episodes

  • S1E1

    Communication

    Jan 11, 202232 min
  • S1E2

    Intelligence

    Jan 18, 202231 min
  • S1E3

    Athletes

    Jan 25, 202233 min
  • S1E4

    Super Senses

    Feb 15, 202230 minFinale

Watch experience

What is The Secret Life of Our Pets like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you feeling good.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
WarmHopefulContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Warm humor
Register
WarmSentimental · 4% of shows
Told as
Episodic · 11% of shows: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.Anthology episodes · 6% of showsStatus quo each season
ToneThe series treats its subject with warmth and affection, celebrating the human-animal bond without irony.
The rideThe series maintains a gentle, uplifting tone, with no significant shifts in emotional intensity.
StructureEach episode jumps between loosely linked segments about different pets and their owners, without a single throughline.
Episode formatEach episode likely stands alone as a self-contained exploration of a different aspect of pet ownership.
Season formatThe show appears to have no overarching narrative arc; each episode and season are thematically similar and interchangeable.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Feel-goodCozy · 5% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayViewers leave with a warm, comforting feeling from the affectionate portrayal of pets and their owners.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

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).
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%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · 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% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is a non-narrative documentary series that explores human-pet bonds without a plot-driven structure.

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% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · 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% (this title) · 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 bondsCommunity: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series celebrates the deep emotional connections between people and their pets, highlighting how animals become part of the family and the wider community of pet owners.
StanceThe series celebrates the bond between humans and pets, presenting it as a source of joy and mutual support.

The world

ContemporaryDomesticSuburbanRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Ben Parsons
SettingHouseholds and communities where pets live with their owners
MusicBen Parsons' score likely underscores the tender, heartwarming moments with gentle orchestral melodies.

Content guide

Is The Secret Life of Our Pets okay for kids?

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • AustraliaG
  • Germany6
  • South KoreaALL
  • Spain16
  • THท

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does The Secret Life of Our Pets have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Secret Life of Our Pets?

Crew

Directed by

Tom Peppiatt

Cinematography

Andreas KnausenbergerSimon Fanthorpe

Music by

Ben Parsons

Produced by

Sarah Hunt, Lucinda Axelsson, Cressida Kinnear, Amber Beattie, Tom Peppiatt

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TMDB's suggestions for shows like The Secret Life of Our Pets include Earth at Night in Color (2020), Nature (1982) and How Do They Do It? (2006).

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