Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- melancholic
- intimate
- reflective evening
- friends movie night
What critics said
Critics found the talented ensemble and pointed friendship premise undercut by a thin script that invites comparisons to The Big Chill without matching its substance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The reunited friends compare their muddled adult lives with the simpler identity they associate with college.
The friends gather after Alex's suicide attempt, and the emergency becomes the catalyst for renewed crushes and resentments.
The central action unfolds during a three-day weekend in which the friends remain together to watch over Alex.
The film explicitly frames its characters as part of the Facebook/Twitter generation and explores changing adult friendship within that culture.
Films like About Alex, and why
The Big Chill
ensemble relationship drama about college friends confronting old resentments and emotional fractures
Friends with Money
intimate adult friendship drama balancing romantic tensions, regret, and generational disillusionment
Your Sister's Sister
witty, emotionally candid ensemble portrait of friends navigating love, identity, and changing adulthood
Drinking Buddies
independent relationship comedy-drama centered on uncomfortable conversations and damaged friendships
Movie Details
- Director
- Jesse Zwick
- Release Date
- 2014-08-08
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (166)
Cast
- Aubrey Plaza
- Jane Levy
- Jason Ritter
- Maggie Grace
- Max Greenfield
- Max Minghella
- Nate Parker
- Adam Saunders
- Rey Lucas
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
- 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 About Alex about?
- Seven former college friends confront suicide, romantic history, and the uncomfortable distance between youthful closeness and adult life.
- What is About Alex like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of About Alex as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is About Alex violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in About Alex as mild.
- What did critics think of About Alex?
- Critics found the talented ensemble and pointed friendship premise undercut by a thin script that invites comparisons to The Big Chill without matching its substance.
- Which films are like About Alex?
- Films with a similar feel include The Big Chill, Friends with Money, Your Sister's Sister, and Drinking Buddies.
- How long is About Alex?
- About Alex runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch About Alex?
- In United States, About Alex streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
