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Parents' Guide to

Friends with Benefits

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Lots of sexual content in formulaic but sweet romcom.

Movie R 2011 104 minutes
Friends with Benefits Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 17 parent reviews

age 14+

Great Movie! For Mature Audiences

I’ve always loved this one! One night, my 7 year old was put with his grandparents, so I decided to have a little adult movie might with my husband and 15 and 12 year olds. I was a bit uncomfortable in a few parts(mainly in the first half), but I genuinely didn’t care. It is a funny movie! My 12 year old is a lot more mature, so I trusted her with this. And it was great! He second half only has one sex scene, and it’s not really graphic. I recommend this one for MATURE teens! Overall though, great movie!
age 13+

Good

Just like no strings attached I’ll have to watch it more.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (17 ):
Kids say (31 ):

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS may be formulaic, but surprisingly it's still pretty good. It tries hard to rise above the romcom cliches -- even going so far as to mock the fantasies that the worst movies of the genre spin -- though it inevitably follows the same trajectories, serving up a happily-ever-after ending that the audience spots from the moment the two leads meet.

Still, Friends with Benefits is surprisingly entertaining, thanks in part to Kunis -- who combines comedic chops with gorgeous-but-approachable looks and a winning personality -- and a parade of gifted supporting actors (Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson, and the always tip-top Patricia Clarkson and Richard Jenkins) who can do no wrong. Timberlake manages to stay above water; sometimes, he's even persuasively charming. Yet you have to wonder what this movie could have been had it not given into the expected outcome, coming up instead with an ending that would still be satisfying but bold and -- dare we say it -- more realistic. No such luck.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: July 22, 2011
  • On DVD or streaming: December 2, 2011
  • Cast: Emma Stone , Justin Timberlake , Mila Kunis
  • Director: Will Gluck
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors
  • Studio: Screen Gems
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 104 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: sexual content and language
  • Last updated: September 25, 2023

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