Parents' Guide to

That Awkward Moment

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Underwhelming sex-themed comedy; lots of strong language.

Movie R 2014 94 minutes
That Awkward Moment Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

livoli88
livoli88 Adult
April 1, 2014
age 16+

Efron disapoints

I was looking forward to this movie, seeing the more mature Efron considering his previous roles years ago on High School Musical. All the girls swooned when he came on, but throughout the movie he was just terrible. The people next to us were on their phones and one even fell asleep during the first half of the movie. I was also looking forward to seeing the character who played "Willard" in Footloose and he was also a dissapointment. Mostly, I was bummed with the plot. It was all about cheating, sex, bar pickups, and one night stands. There was a lot of teenage girls in the movie theater, (despite the rating being R) and it was very disapointing to see that these girls were being shown that one night stands could result in positive relationships and everything being perfect. It was not appropriate for anyone under 14, as there were many sex jokes and lots of joking about 'cocks'. 15 and up would be okay, although I just don't reccomend it considering you don't get much out of it.

This title has:

Too much sex
Dan G.
Dan G. Parent
February 6, 2014
age 18+

This movie is all about irresponsible sex

This movie is filled with instances of the male characters combing bars and finding women to seduce into bed and then abandoning them. Honesty is rarely found as they lie their way shamelessly to get their victims to bed. There is quite a bit of male nudity, it seems that Zac Ephron loves to be naked in front of a camera; it happened frequently. Sex is treated consistently in this movie as both a joke, and as only something to be selfishly sought after. Subjecting children to the irresponsible messages in this movie should classify as abuse.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THAT AWKWARD MOMENT, best friends since college, twenty-something New Yorkers Jason (Zac Efron), Mikey (Michael B. Jordan), and Daniel (Miles Teller) are dealing with a relationship crisis: Mikey's wife Vera (Jessica Lucas) has announced she's been unfaithful and wants a divorce, so the other guys promise him that the way to get over his failed marriage is to have casual hook-ups and remain loyal only to one another. But just as the guys are beginning to enjoy the single life, Jason meets the quirky and sweet Ellie (Imogen Poots) and Daniel realizes his best female friend Chelsea (Mackenzie Davis) might be more than his designated "wing man."

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (10):

Despite efforts by the charming young cast of That Awkward Moment to elevate the thin and shallow material, it just doesn't work; they deserve so much more. The comic gags are raunchy and unoriginal -- like when Mikey walks in on Jason having casual sex, or after Mikey accidentally rubs self-tanner on his penis, leading to witless jokes about what his member looks like-- and the relationship arcs are predictable and obvious.

It's always a shame when the only women worthy of love are various shades of Mary from There's Something About Mary -- gorgeous but "just one of the guys," a woman who is as comfortable drinking Scotch and playing video games as she is performing sexual acts in her parents' bathroom during Thanksgiving. The ensemble is full of actors, particularly Teller and Jordan, who will no doubt make their mark in far superior films. They're charismatic and emotive and of course attractive; too bad That Awkward Moment is just that -- awkward and full of only the flimsiest of easy laughs.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's messages about sex and relationships. Who do you think has the healthiest view of romantic love?

  • Do you consider this movie appropriate for teenagers? Why or why not?

  • Jason, Daniel, and Mikey are played by actors who've been in teen-targeted movies or TV shows. Do you think the actors' past work makes it hard to consider this movie for mature audiences?

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