Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- witty
- earnest
- teen movie night
- coming of age double feature
What critics said
Critics found engaging performances and irreverent teen energy in a sincere but tonally inconsistent comedy with muddled storytelling and uneven pacing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Charlie presents himself as a physician, listens to classmates' problems, and sells prescription drugs as a route to popularity.
The school, parents, and administrators struggle to respond coherently to the same emotional and pharmaceutical problems they claim to control.
Charlie constructs a public identity as the school's problem-solver while gradually confronting his own loneliness and family instability.
The film moves between school-status schemes, romance, prescription-drug dealing, overdose consequences, and sincere emotional repair.
Films like Charlie Bartlett, and why
Election
rebellious high school satire with witty teen angst, social experimentation, and a charismatic outsider protagonist
Pump Up the Volume
teen rebellion, alternative school culture, romantic tension, and irreverent criticism of adult authority
Mumford
earnest character-driven comedy about unconventional self-help, troubled young people, and dysfunctional adults
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
high school outsider comedy combining popularity schemes, romance, peer pressure, and adolescent self-discovery
Movie Details
- Director
- Jon Poll
- Release Date
- 2008-02-22
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (717)
Cast
- Anton Yelchin
- Robert Downey Jr.
- Hope Davis
- Kat Dennings
- Tyler Hilton
- Mark Rendall
- Dylan Taylor
- Megan Park
- Jonathan Malen
- Stephen Young
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Charlie Bartlett about?
- A privileged expelled teenager turns peer counseling and prescription-drug dealing into a popularity business, only to discover that charisma cannot cure his own emotional wounds.
- What is Charlie Bartlett like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Charlie Bartlett as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Charlie Bartlett violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Charlie Bartlett as mild.
- What did critics think of Charlie Bartlett?
- Critics found engaging performances and irreverent teen energy in a sincere but tonally inconsistent comedy with muddled storytelling and uneven pacing.
- Which films are like Charlie Bartlett?
- Films with a similar feel include Election, Pump Up the Volume, Mumford, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
- How long is Charlie Bartlett?
- Charlie Bartlett runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Charlie Bartlett?
- In United States, Charlie Bartlett is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
