Parents' Guide to

Fat Kid Rules the World

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Unpopular teen faces tough climb in edgy dramedy.

Movie R 2012 98 minutes
Fat Kid Rules the World Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 13+

Faithful to the novel

"FKRTW" was a great read, really tapping into the angst of heavier people, something I can certainly attest to back in the day. What I like here is that Troy doesn't really get bullied by anyone. If anything he bullies himself with self-effacing actions and putting himself down. Wysocki is fine as the protagonist, but the juicier role belongs to Matt O'Leary playing rock star Marcus, who in the book was more clearly a tribute to Kurt Cobain's rambunctious wild side. It's a pretty good high school film, but doesn't go too far beyond being just average. Also it's a pretty tame R.

This title has:

Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
age 18+

HORRIBLE FOR KIDS!

THIS BOOK IS HORRIBLE! MY SON'S FRIEND SHOWED HIM THE F WORD IN THIS BOOK AND HE STARTED SAYING IT AT HOME! DON'T READ IT! BAD BAD BAD!

This title has:

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

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (5):

Little about this movie is predictable, which makes it both entertaining and uplifting. Fat Kid Rules the World (which is based on the novel by K.L. Going) features realistic high school conflicts, especially a main character who's ostracized and depressed in very authentic ways. The friendship between Troy and Marcus also seems believable, as they each sorely need things the other can provide -- Troy learns to be confident and make friends, while Marcus gets help getting clean. It's especially heartening to see Troy develop from a loner into a leader.

The film isn't like the typical high school movie. It doesn't build to a big contest or show at the finale, and it changes direction midway through, shifting from a story about two guys trying to get their band going to one guy trying to pull the other back from the edge. The shift is surprising, elevating the movie above run-of-the-mill teen fare.

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate