Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny teen coming-of-age story has swearing, some drinking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Kings of Summer
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?
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?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 31, 2013
- On DVD or streaming : September 24, 2013
- Cast : Gabriel Basso , Moises Arias , Nick Offerman , Nick Robinson
- Director : Jordan Vogt-Roberts
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : CBS Films
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and some teen drinking
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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