American Teen

American Teen (2008)

  • 70% of critics liked it
    (149 reviews)

  • 58% of users liked it
    (101,866 ratings)

In this biting cinéma vérité, director Nanette Burstein follows a group of five Indiana high-school seniors as they navigate the social mazes of adolescence, prepare for graduation, and generally deal with the often surprising and strange situations that arise simply from being 17. Incorporating… More

Play Trailer

PG-13,
Directed By
Genres
Documentary, Special Interest
In Theaters
Jan 19, 2008 Wide
Paramount Vantage

Critic Reviews

  • Dave Calhoun, Time Out

    It's a lightly amusing film but it's also an unchallenging one which reinforces presumptions about kids rather than surprising with new insights. It floats in the shallow end of filmmaking.

  • Ruth Hessey, MovieTime, ABC Radio National

    My only gripe is that the relentless pressure to be a winner in American culture is exhausting to watch.

  • Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

    The whirl of hormones, high hopes and hysterical drama that is high school earns its close-up in American Teen, a smart and revealing look at the Class of 2006 in Warsaw, Indiana.

  • Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

    They all have their stories tell, some more complicated than others.

  • Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald

    American Teen finds the truth in the trite and the cliched: It's a wonderful look at why growing up is so hard to do.

Read all 24 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • paul s


    As I watched the documentary American Teen, my brain kept telling me that this was just another of those posed, fake, "reality" shows. How the heck did the camera get to be in the middle of all intimate moments? In particular there is a scene about 2/3 of the way through… More

  • Lorenzo v


    <i>"Remember high school? It's gotten worse."</i> A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More

  • Nicki M


    I really enjoyed this. I tend to like things that follow "real" people, although I do have to question how set up this one was. Anyhow, it was very entertaining and I even sat and watched all the extra features, which I almost never bother to do on a rental.

  • Luke B


    According to this documentary, high school soap operas and teen movies have had it right from the start. This isn't a gritty expose of some secret way of life. It's just American high school as we've all come to expect it. Cool alternative girl, geek, jock and the… More

  • Jason S


    We get a pretty good look at who these people really are and for some I hope it was a wake up call. We get the classic types here... jock, princess, outcast, and artsy. Each one has a story that shows they all have hardships and struggles while just trying to get through high school… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Currently unavailable on Flixster

Also available on

UltraViolet Retailers

Other Retailers

Subscription Services

Not Available
Not Available
Not Available

Trailers & Clips