Goats
A privileged teenager prepares to trade his eccentric Tucson home and beloved surrogate father for the uncertain freedoms of prep school.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- quirky
- wistful
- awkward
- lazy sunday
- indie film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the adaptation bland and aimless, arguing that its eccentric characters and coming-of-age ambitions never cohere into a satisfying drama.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ellis leaves a luxurious Tucson home for an elite East Coast prep school while navigating unstable parental relationships.
Goat Man functions as the only real father Ellis has known before his departure for school.
Wendy is characterized as a flaky new age mother whose worldview structures Ellis's home environment.
The cast includes a narcissistic mother, a bearded goat herder and poolman, and conflicted divorced parents in an indie comedy-drama register.
Films like Goats, and why
The Squid and the Whale
coming-of-age drama centered on privileged adolescents, family tensions, and emotional immaturity
Rushmore
quirky coming-of-age comedy-drama about an adolescent negotiating unconventional adults and family change
The Myth of the American Sleepover
indie coming-of-age story combining adolescent alienation, eccentric family dynamics, and bittersweet humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Christopher Neil
- Release Date
- 2012-08-10
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (113)
Cast
- David Duchovny
- Vera Farmiga
- Graham Phillips
- Keri Russell
- Justin Kirk
- Ty Burrell
- Dakota Johnson
- Anthony Anderson
- Adelaide Kane
- Alan Ruck
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo
- 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 Goats about?
- A privileged teenager prepares to trade his eccentric Tucson home and beloved surrogate father for the uncertain freedoms of prep school.
- What is Goats like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Goats as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Goats violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Goats.
- What did critics think of Goats?
- Critics broadly found the adaptation bland and aimless, arguing that its eccentric characters and coming-of-age ambitions never cohere into a satisfying drama.
- Which films are like Goats?
- Films with a similar feel include The Squid and the Whale, Rushmore, and The Myth of the American Sleepover.
- How long is Goats?
- Goats runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch Goats?
- In United States, Goats streams on Philo.
