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Parents' Guide to

The Kings of Summer

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Funny teen coming-of-age story has swearing, some drinking.

Movie R 2013 93 minutes
The Kings of Summer Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 6 parent reviews

TheoDoyp
TheoDoyp Adult
January 21, 2016
age 15+

Similar to Stand By Me

SPOILERS (go watch before reading) This drama/comedy coming of age film is a very well made and funny. It has a very good story and great acting from all of the cast. Throughout the film there is strong language, a lot like stand by me. I really enjoyed this film. The only thing i didn't like about it was towards the ending as their group had a fight and things wern't going as well... it kinda dragged on and one part in particular wasn't needed but was added to the story as if it was kinda forced. But thats just my opinion. Overall i thought this was a very good film that made me laugh and it was very interesting too.

This title has:

Too much swearing
EveG
EveG Parent of 12, 12 and 14-year-old
June 20, 2014
age 13+
Great little surprise of a movie. Beautifully filmed and very funny. The R rating is nonsense. Much more thought-provoking than most pre-teen and teen movies. Scene killing the rabbit (for food) could be disturbing to some but the character felt bad about it as well. This movie had some swearing but pretty minor. Did show kids drinking as a fun activity but part of the "plot". Great movie to watch with your kids. A bit of a Wes Anderson style of directing in terms of characters and humour. Laughed out loud a few times. I think this movie would be appropriate for 13/14 and up with parental guidance.

This title has:

Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

At the end of his lackluster freshman year in high school, Joe (Nick Robinson) has gotten fed up with his cynical father (Nick Offerman). And his friend Patrick (Gabriel Basso) is so annoyed by his strange, cheery parents (Megan Mullally and Marc Evan Jackson) that he's getting a rash. Fortunately, Joe has the perfect solution: They'll run away into the woods, build their own house, and live like kings. The very strange, philosophical Biaggio (Moises Arias) joins them. Their adventure works, and they start to learn new and interesting ways of being in the world. But at the same time, new frictions come up: friendships are tested, and parents never stop looking for their missing kids.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (6 ):

Coming-of-age movies are generally a dime a dozen, but with this one, first-time writer Chris Galletta and Funny or Die veteran director Jordan Vogt-Roberts have created a breath of fresh air. The witty characters take action in their world and are allowed to succeed and fail alternately. They feel real and sympathetic, in spite of the cartoony nature of the movie's humor.

And although the parents are definitely stereotypes, they're also smart and allowed to fail, and they likewise earn our sympathy. The director employs many simple moments of life unrelated to the plot -- such as the opening "drumming" scene -- to add a specific summery, relaxed, wide-open mood to the movie. The casting and performances are faultless, and the three young leads make a terrific comedy trio together, generating a specific, unique chemistry. The Kings of Summer could become a young person's classic, destined to be rediscovered by subsequent generations.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether strong language is/should be enough of a reason to restrict teens from seeing a movie about characters their age. Teens: How prevalent is swearing in your life? Does it make a movie more or less relatable to you when it has that kind of language?

  • Kings of Summer shows teens drinking in two scenes. Could the movie have done without these scenes? Are there consequences for the drinking? Are they realistic?

  • What's the relationship between the teen characters and their parents? Are these relationships realistic or exaggerated for humor?

  • What's the most important thing the characters learn in this story?

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