Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen vacation movie has tons of sex and scatological humor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Inbetweeners Movie
What's the Story?
Will McKenzie (Simon Bird), who narrates, tells the story of a two-week summer vacation with his best friends Jay (James Buckley), Neil (Blake Harrison), and Simon (Joe Thomas) following their high school graduation. Their entire goal is to have sex and get drunk, but things start to go wrong when their hotel looks more like a war zone and they wind up in the worst bar on the beach. And things go from bad to worse, partly through bad luck and partly through the characters' own stupidity. Can their friendship stand the strain of a vacation, can they learn a little something, and -- if all goes well -- will they maybe even meet a few nice girls?
Is It Any Good?
And after an entire movie, the same kinds of raunchy jokes repeated again and again can get very tiresome. Ben Palmer, a director on the UK's Inbetweeners TV series, makes his big-screen debut with THE INBETWEENERS MOVIE. Perhaps realizing that 90 minutes' worth of jokes about sex, penises, and feces wasn't going to be enough, he and writers Iain Morris and Damon Beesley decided on some character development to fill things out. Unfortunately, since the characters are mostly stupid and rather thinly drawn, that didn't help much.
On the plus side, the characters are harmless, and they do seem to have a genuine camaraderie. And there are even a few honest-to-goodness laughs. Mostly, though, the movie ranges from mildly amusing to annoying, especially when the jokes arrive at the expense of fat girls, older women, and even little people.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Inbetweeners Movie depicts sex. The characters seem to want it without really knowing much about. Why is this disparity funny? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Why do you think these characters are so interested in drinking and getting drunk? Are there any realistic consequences for their drinking/partying?
Various body types (both boys and girls) are on display in this movie. What does the movie have to say about body types that don't conform to standard "ideals"?
How do the main characters deal with the movie's bully? Would there have been a better option?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 7, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : January 8, 2013
- Cast : Blake Harrison , James Buckley , Joe Thomas , Simon Bird
- Director : Ben Palmer
- Studio : Wrekin Hill Entertainment
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 97 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong crude and sexual content, some graphic nudity, language, alcohol and brief drug use
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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