Parents' Guide to How High

Movie R 2001 93 minutes
How High movie poster: Black man in bandana left stands back-to-back with Black man in baseball cap right on campus green lawn

Common Sense Media Review

JK Sooja By JK Sooja , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Stoner comedy objectifies women; language, stereotypes.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In HOW HIGH, two friends (Method Man and Redman) suddenly see a dead friend appear to them as a ghost. Their dead friend informs them that he can help them make something of themselves by helping them cheat to get into Harvard. They do so, and while at Harvard, the two friends try to succeed, avoid hateful peers, and find romantic partners. With the dean ready to kick them out, will they surprise everyone and graduate?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

Unfortunately, this stoner comedy doesn't hold up nor was it likely very good at the time of its initial release in 2001. Capitalizing on the commercial success of both Method Man (from the Wu-Tang Clan) and Redman (frequent collaborator of Method Man), How High unites these two friends in an absurd and impossible-to-believe story that has them challenging establishments at Harvard. Most of the ridiculous moments are laughably not possible (like getting into Harvard based on one test, smoking dead people to make them appear as ghosts, passing Harvard college classes while constantly high), which drags down the believability of the two friends' quest to make something of themselves.

Most of the humor, also, is based on making fun of stereotypes (the Asian nerd, the geeky White boy hall monitor, and the rich White boy). And while the main love interest is a strong, intelligent Black woman, every other representation of women is based on sex and their appearance. Men also constantly reference oral sex and talk about sex, sexual "ability," and how "horny" they are.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about drugs and drug use in comedies. How does How High depict drug use? Do you think the movie responsibly represents what smoking weed is like?

  • How are women depicted in this comedy? Who is the strongest woman character in the film?

  • What are the most redeeming qualities of this movie? Which parts were the funniest?

Movie Details

  • On DVD or streaming : December 21, 2001
  • Cast : Method Man , Redman , Obba Babatundé , Mike Epps
  • Director : Jesse Dylan
  • Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
  • Studio : Netflix
  • Genre : Comedy
  • Run time : 93 minutes
  • MPAA rating : R
  • MPAA explanation : pervasive drug use and language, and for sexual dialogue
  • Last updated : June 28, 2023

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How High movie poster: Black man in bandana left stands back-to-back with Black man in baseball cap right on campus green lawn

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