Parents' Guide to

All American Bully

By Grace Montgomery, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Disturbing indie thriller has rape, intense violence.

Movie NR 2011 90 minutes
All American Bully Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

In ALL AMERICAN BULLY, Devon (Alexander Fraser) and his nerdy friends fly under the radar at their high school and are content to sit around playing video games and Dungeons and Dragons. That is, until his former friend John (Daren Ackerman) and his college friends viciously beat Devon and post a video of it on social media, forcing him to claim he's gay. Devon's dad chastises him for not "manning up," and the high school principal (Adrienne King) is mostly concerned that Devon's supposed sexuality will ruin his life. Devon and his friends realize they have to take matters into their own hands to beat the bullies at their own game. But as the lines start to blur about who the victim really is, the situation quickly gets dangerously out of control.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Although it seems like it's trying to make a statement about social media and bullying, most of what the film has to say is lost under the horrifying violence that has no resolution. Everyone is a bully in All American Bully, even if they think they're doing it for a righteous reason, and no one wins. But it's hard to know what we're supposed to take from it. According to the film, kids can't turn to adults for help, but trying to solve the problem themselves results in truly disturbing consequences such as rape or murder. It's hard to know what the point is.

Fans of thrillers may be disappointed with the slow pacing of the first half of the film, though they'll no doubt be impressed with Daren Ackerman's powerful portrayal of the bully John. And parents looking for a sobering example of the evils of bullying should definitely steer clear of this film.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about bullying. Have you seen bullying in your school? How should kids get help for bullying? What can you do to prevent bullying?

  • In the film, the adults don't have concrete ways to deal with bullying or are, in fact, bullies themselves. How do you think adults can help combat bullying among kids and themselves?

  • What role does social media play in bullying? How can we limit social media's role in bullying?

Movie Details

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