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Parents' Guide to

Dazed and Confused

By Elliot Panek, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Edgy coming-of-age tale has underage drinking and drug use.

Movie R 1993 103 minutes
Dazed and Confused Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 7 parent reviews

age 15+

This title has:

Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
age 12+

Good

Violence 3/5 Sex 2/5 Language 5/5 Drinking/Drugs/Smoking 5/5

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7 ):
Kids say (19 ):

Kids may be drawn to this risque comedy, but know that there's lots of bad behavior on display that goes consequence-free. Still, for more mature teens, Dazed and Confused can be seen as a coming-of-age time capsule that paints an unapologetically rosy picture of high school in the 1970s. Though conflict arises when characters briefly contemplate what comes after the last day of school, the film doesn't let such serious moments complicate the good time characters experience.

Dazed and Confused helped to kick off a nostalgic preoccupation with the 1970s that continued with titles like Boogie Nights, That 70s Show, Casino, etc. This isn't to say that the film is an empty ode to the era of bell-bottoms and bongs -- rather, it has spot-on depictions of suburban rites of passage. The joy that Mitch experiences from transcending social barriers that seem etched in stone is contagious. It's nice to be reminded that, on occasion, high school can be fun.

Movie Details

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