Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sardonic
- restless
- late night viewing
- indie film night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film an engrossing, darkly intense portrait of suburban stagnation, strengthened by Richard Linklater’s command of mood and the ensemble performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jeff, Buff, Sooze, Tim, and their friends spend their days and nights in parking lots, postponing ambitions and resisting change.
The film centers on an overnight gathering shaped by arguments, memories, jokes, and shifting alliances among the friends.
The group’s reunion with former classmate Erica, now a pop star, turns her success into a catalyst for envy, nostalgia, and self-examination.
The characters’ habitual social life unfolds around suburban parking lots and late-night hangouts rather than conventional homes or workplaces.
Films like SubUrbia, and why
Dazed and Confused
shared slacker comedy, youthful aimlessness, and observational suburban atmosphere
Slacker
shared loose youth culture, conversational realism, and drifting coming-of-age sensibility
Kicking and Screaming
shared disaffected young adults, nocturnal hangouts, and intimate indie ensemble drama
Reality Bites
shared suburban ennui, restless friendships, and bittersweet post-adolescent uncertainty
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Linklater
- Release Date
- 1997-02-07
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (142)
Cast
- Giovanni Ribisi
- Steve Zahn
- Amie Carey
- Nicky Katt
- Parker Posey
- Ajay Naidu
- Jayce Bartok
- Dina Spybey-Waters
- Samia Shoaib
- Kitt Brophy
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- 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 SubUrbia about?
- A restless suburban reunion turns an aimless night of drinking and bickering into a reckoning with abandoned ambitions and the costs of escape.
- What is SubUrbia like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of SubUrbia as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is SubUrbia violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in SubUrbia as mild.
- What did critics think of SubUrbia?
- Critics generally found the film an engrossing, darkly intense portrait of suburban stagnation, strengthened by Richard Linklater’s command of mood and the ensemble performances.
- Which films are like SubUrbia?
- Films with a similar feel include Dazed and Confused, Slacker, Kicking and Screaming, and Reality Bites.
- How long is SubUrbia?
- SubUrbia runs 121 minutes.
- Where can I watch SubUrbia?
- In United States, SubUrbia streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
