Kaboom
A bisexual college student’s flirtations and nightmares spiral into a playful, sexually charged mystery about cults, prophecy, and apocalypse.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- playful
- surreal
- cult movie night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the film ambitious, fast-paced, stylish, and well acted, while sharply divided over its deliberately loose and surreal structure.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Smith's dormitory relationships and sexual anxieties are intertwined with visions, cult activity, and an apparent threat to the world.
Smith experiences terrifying dreams and hallucinations while trying to determine whether the kidnapping and prophetic events are real.
Smith's bisexual desire, his attraction to London and Thor, and the film's LGBTQ-related framing shape the central character dynamics.
The film alternates between witty dorm-room flirtation, hip music, eccentric humor, and terrifying visions of catastrophe.
Films like Kaboom, and why
Nowhere
shared surreal coming-of-age comedy, queer themes, dream logic, and apocalyptic unease
The Doom Generation
shared eccentric ensemble, sexually charged satire, heightened fantasy, and countercultural tone
Donnie Darko
shared college setting, mystery structure, irreverent humor, and reality-bending paranoia
Southland Tales
shared surreal science fiction comedy, adolescent sexuality, cult menace, and playful formal oddity
Movie Details
- Director
- Gregg Araki
- Release Date
- 2010-10-06
- Runtime
- 86 min
- Rating
- 5.6 / 10 (370)
Cast
- Thomas Dekker
- Haley Bennett
- Chris Zylka
- Roxane Mesquida
- Juno Temple
- James Duval
- Andy Fischer-Price
- Brandy Futch
- Nicole LaLiberte
- Kelly Lynch
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+
- Rent
- Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Kaboom about?
- A bisexual college student’s flirtations and nightmares spiral into a playful, sexually charged mystery about cults, prophecy, and apocalypse.
- What is Kaboom like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kaboom as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Kaboom violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Kaboom as mild.
- What did critics think of Kaboom?
- Critics generally found the film ambitious, fast-paced, stylish, and well acted, while sharply divided over its deliberately loose and surreal structure.
- Which films are like Kaboom?
- Films with a similar feel include Nowhere, The Doom Generation, Donnie Darko, and Southland Tales.
- How long is Kaboom?
- Kaboom runs 86 minutes.
- Where can I watch Kaboom?
- In United States, Kaboom streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+.
