Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- sardonic
- bleak
- awkward
- quiet night in
- dark comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a brave, funny, and dour examination of prolonged adolescence, led by Charlize Theron's fearless performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mavis's humiliating pursuit of Buddy and her refusal to recognize emotional harm make the laughs consistently uncomfortable.
Mavis treats her prom-queen years as her personal peak and attempts to restore a high-school romance while neglecting adult reality.
Mavis treats news of Buddy's newborn child as a sign that they are meant to reunite, despite his marriage and family.
Mavis returns to Mercury, Minnesota, where old school reputations and memories govern her behavior toward Buddy, Beth, and Matt.
Films like Young Adult, and why
Alexander Payne's Sideways
shares a caustic tragicomic tone, emotionally difficult protagonist, and themes of arrested development and self-deception
The Skeleton Twins
shares a sharply observed comedy-drama structure, dysfunctional relationships, and an abrasive central character seeking emotional escape
Obvious Child
shares a darkly funny portrait of adult immaturity, loneliness, and destructive romantic fixation
Movie Details
- Director
- Jason Reitman
- Release Date
- 2011-11-11
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (1394)
Cast
- Charlize Theron
- Patton Oswalt
- Patrick Wilson
- Elizabeth Reaser
- Collette Wolfe
- Jill Eikenberry
- Richard Bekins
- Mary Beth Hurt
- Kate Nowlin
- Jenny Dare Paulin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Young Adult about?
- A divorced ghostwriter returns to her Minnesota hometown to reclaim her married high-school sweetheart, exposing the corrosive fantasy of living forever in adolescence.
- What is Young Adult like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Young Adult as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Young Adult violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Young Adult as mild.
- What did critics think of Young Adult?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a brave, funny, and dour examination of prolonged adolescence, led by Charlize Theron's fearless performance.
- Which films are like Young Adult?
- Films with a similar feel include Alexander Payne's Sideways, The Skeleton Twins, and Obvious Child.
- How long is Young Adult?
- Young Adult runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Young Adult?
- In United States, Young Adult streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
