Beyond Clueless
Teen-film-genre docu features sex, profanity, violence.
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Beyond Clueless
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Beyond Clueless is a documentary exploring the teen film genre that uses clips from 200 movies over a few decades. It features extensive montages and clips of sex, including full-frontal male nudity and female nudity; drug use, including teenage drinking, illegal drug use, and smoking; profanity, such as frequent use of "f--k"; and violence ranging from slapping and punching to murder and sexual abuse. It aims to shed light on the various recurring themes in the genre and the way they reinforce a cinematic ideal teen experience, so it contains very mature content. For older teens and adults only.
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What's the Story?
Using clips and montages from over 200 teenage films, Beyond Clueless aims to dissect and categorize the cinematic teen experience in anthropological terms.
Is It Any Good?
BEYOND CLUELESS has an appealing idea: dissecting teen films as a genre to study the internal laws of teen life from the cinematic viewpoint. But with such a glut of clips and only a few to analyze -- not all of which are particular standouts in the genre -- the result feels like being inundated with scene after scene of the same thing: cliques, bullying, sexual awakenings, makeovers, mean girls, and the like. But perhaps that's the point. Though not exhaustive, the result ultimately leaves viewers feeling as if they've seen the same teenage movie again and again for better or for worse. The question is, why?
That's not really answered, and to form your own idea, you'll have to sit through montage after montage of highly mature content from teenage films, including sex, drugs, profanity, alienation, and violence. The real question is whether it's effective in probing the bigger message about what the genre does or doesn't offer.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how teen movies have changed over the years. Which are you favorite teens movies, and why?
How well do the films represented here reflect real teenage life, desires, or concerns?
Does Beyond Clueless succeed as an academic exploration of teen films? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 26, 2014
- On DVD or streaming: March 9, 2015
- Cast: Fairuza Balk
- Director: Charlie Lyne
- Studio: The Film Sales Company
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: High School
- Run time: 89 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: July 21, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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Clueless
Charming take on Jane Austen's Emma has sex, drugs.
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Mean Girls
Mature but often hilarious teen comedy.
-
Heathers
After Columbine, this dark comedy isn't as funny.
For kids who love teen tales
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