Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

The First Time

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Frank-but-approachable romcom about teens and sex.

Movie PG-13 2012 100 minutes
The First Time Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 4 parent reviews

MR VDL
MR VDL Adult
August 20, 2018
age 16+

Health

Movie is an accurate, all be it awkward, representation of an intimate relationship between two consenting teens.
Nats10
Nats10 Adult
June 30, 2018
age 14+

Sweet teen love story

I think it’s a really sweet teen love story. Slightly uncomfortable in one scene. The boy struggles with the condom. My 16 year felt awkward. It’s shows teens the reality of your teen sex, not the glamorized usual teen movie.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Dave (Dylan O'Brien) and Aubrey (Britt Robertson) hadn't exactly planned on falling for each other. Dave has a major crush on his friend Jane (Victoria Justice), and Aubrey is dating an older, angsty musician, Ronny (James Frecheville). But fall for each other they do after meeting outside a party where Dave is summoning the courage to tell Jane how he feels. Aubrey senses a sensitive soul in Dave, and although she's sort of a cynic, she lets down her guard enough to allow him into her life. They spend a night talking and snuggling, and soon, they can't stop thinking about each other ... or about possibly losing their virginity to each other. Are they moving too fast? What would it be like?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (20 ):

THE FIRST TIME is fairly straightforward and unimaginative in its linear storytelling, and the performances -- while sweet -- are burdened with too much effort. But it's kind of amazing in how it lays the subject of losing your virginity bare, without making it lewd or overly wrought. In so doing, it engages the audience, allowing them a look at what it's like to be a modern teenager in a world where sex seems either taken for granted or forbidden (hardly ever right in the complicated middle ground).

Plus, the actors talk like teenagers, ping-pong between emotions like teenagers, and admirably approximate what it's like to be faced with the question of losing your virginity. And it's to The First Time's credit that all this happens while they're neither shamed nor hyper-sexualized.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The First Time portrays sex and its role in teen relationships. How does it compare to other movies about teen sex? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values on this topic.

  • What do you think about the way Dave and Aubrey approach the subject of sex, especially since they just met? Is it realistic?

  • Do you consider the characters role models? Are they intended to be?

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.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

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