
Want more recommendations for your family?
Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration
Mystery Team
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Vulgar parody of kids' movies is definitely NOT for kids.

A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
Best friends Jason (Donald Glover, from TV's Community), Duncan (D.C. Pierson), and Charlie (Dominic Dierkes) have been running a detective agency since they were seven. Oddly, now that they're nearly through with high school, they're still doing it. While under pressure to grow up and quit their kids' games, they are hired to solve their first real case: a murder. The parents of Kelly (Aubrey Plaza) and Brianna (Daphne Ciccarelle) were mysteriously killed in connection with some dirty dealings at the lumber mill, and police are baffled. The naïve detectives' adventure will take them to a sex club, a drug dealer, and other shady areas; will they be able to solve the case without getting killed? And will Jason win the heart of Kelly?
Is It Any Good?
Mystery Team looks deceptively like a kids' movie, but it surprises right out of the gate with unhinged vulgarity, sex, and drugs. Happily, even when the shock wears off, the movie -- written by and starring the members of the college comedy troupe Derrick Comedy -- remains funny, thanks to the decision to make its three hapless, stuck-in-adolescence detectives totally naïve and untouched by all the depravity.
These likeable misfits wander, morally clean, through the dirty landscape, and each side is able to humorously comment upon the other. The movie doesn't exactly provide non-stop laughter, but it does have a fair share of titters and chuckles. Director Dan Eckman could perhaps have picked up the pace a bit, but at least the jokes don't stop in the third act to make room for the conclusion of the mystery, like so many other comedies.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 28, 2009
- On DVD or streaming: May 25, 2010
- Cast: D.C. Pierson , Dominic Dierkes , Donald Glover
- Director: Dan Eckman
- Inclusion Information: Black actors
- Studio: Roadside Attractions
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 94 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: crude sexual content, nudity, language and some drug material
- Last updated: February 25, 2023
Inclusion information powered by
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.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
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