Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- earnest
- lazy sunday
- teen movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film charming, intelligent, and entertaining, praising its strong young cast and music-driven coming-of-age story despite some conventional and overly heavy dramatic turns.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Will assembles a crew of outcasts around a shared passion for music and enters a school battle of the bands.
Will and his friends develop personal confidence and group identity through rehearsals and public performance.
The critical consensus specifically praises the film for avoiding teen-film clichés while retaining an entertaining package of comedy and coming-of-age drama.
The central external goal is the students' performance in their school's battle of the bands competition.
Films like Bandslam, and why
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
teen coming-of-age comedy centered on outsider identity, friendship, and creative self-expression
School of Rock
feel-good school music competition, ensemble misfits, and energetic performance sequences
Raise Your Voice
teen musical drama combining romance, performance, and social self-discovery
Sing Street
high-school outsiders form a music group while navigating friendship and popularity
Movie Details
- Director
- Todd Graff
- Release Date
- 2009-08-06
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (492)
Cast
- Aly Michalka
- Vanessa Hudgens
- Gaelan Connell
- Scott Porter
- Ryan Donowho
- Charlie Saxton
- Lisa Kudrow
- Tim Jo
- Elvy
- Lisa Chung
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Peacock Premium, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Peacock Premium Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Bandslam about?
- An alienated teenager builds an unlikely band of outsiders and discovers confidence, friendship, and belonging through a high-school music competition.
- What is Bandslam like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bandslam as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Bandslam violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Bandslam.
- What did critics think of Bandslam?
- Critics broadly found the film charming, intelligent, and entertaining, praising its strong young cast and music-driven coming-of-age story despite some conventional and overly heavy dramatic turns.
- Which films are like Bandslam?
- Films with a similar feel include The Perks of Being a Wallflower, School of Rock, Raise Your Voice, and Sing Street.
- How long is Bandslam?
- Bandslam runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch Bandslam?
- In United States, Bandslam streams on Peacock Premium, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Peacock Premium Plus.
