Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- breezy
- irreverent
- teen movie night
- lighthearted weekend viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the film mildly entertaining but overly derivative, arguing that its spy-school premise is undermined by familiar teen-comedy clichés.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Megan abandons an international assassination mission and enters high school, where ordinary teenage pressures are unfamiliar to her.
Megan has been trained and identified as agent 83, yet seeks a self-directed life as Megan Walsh.
Megan's assassin training is repeatedly placed against school social pressures, dating, popularity, and family adjustment.
The film frames high-school cliques and teenage rivalry through the conventions of secret government agents and assassination missions.
Films like Barely Lethal, and why
Spy Kids
shares a fish-out-of-water premise, teen comedy tone, secret-agent action, and playful genre conventions
The Sleepover
combines adolescent identity struggles, school comedy, romance, and stylized action in an accessible package
Sky High
features a teenage protagonist balancing covert combat skills with ordinary social life in a comic action adventure
Charlies Angels
mixes female-led espionage, irreverent humor, coming-of-age themes, and heightened action
Movie Details
- Director
- Kyle Newman
- Release Date
- 2015-04-23
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (1128)
Cast
- Hailee Steinfeld
- Sophie Turner
- Jessica Alba
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Dove Cameron
- Thomas Mann
- Gabriel Basso
- Emma Holzer
- Rob Huebel
- Jaime King
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Barely Lethal about?
- A teenage assassin escapes her handlers to discover that surviving high school may be harder than surviving a mission.
- What is Barely Lethal like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Barely Lethal as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Barely Lethal violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Barely Lethal as mild.
- What did critics think of Barely Lethal?
- Critics generally found the film mildly entertaining but overly derivative, arguing that its spy-school premise is undermined by familiar teen-comedy clichés.
- Which films are like Barely Lethal?
- Films with a similar feel include Spy Kids, The Sleepover, Sky High, and Charlies Angels.
- How long is Barely Lethal?
- Barely Lethal runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Barely Lethal?
- In United States, Barely Lethal streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
