Thirteen
A straight-A thirteen-year-old is pulled into a volatile world of sex, drugs, petty crime, and self-invention by her charismatic new best friend.
Overview
A gripping exploration of teenage rebellion and the quest for identity amidst chaos.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- raw
- volatile
- claustrophobic
- serious movie night
- independent film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's focused writing, vivid direction, and remarkably convincing performances while noting that its anecdotal structure can feel cluttered.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tracy radically changes her appearance, behavior, and social identity under Evie's influence.
Tracy's broken home, hostility toward Brady, and escalating conflict with Melanie shape her risky behavior.
Tracy cuts herself to alleviate distress connected to family dysfunction and adolescent turmoil.
The plot foregrounds smoking, tattoos, sexual experimentation, makeovers, and self-injury as markers of transformation.
Films like Thirteen, and why
Girl, Interrupted
raw adolescent turmoil, female friendship, self-destructive experimentation, and emotionally intense family conflict
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
grounded teen drama centered on peer pressure, identity formation, sexuality, and troubled home life
Kids
unvarnished coming-of-age storytelling focused on teenage alienation, risky behavior, and dysfunctional parents
Movie Details
- Director
- Catherine Hardwicke
- Release Date
- 2003-08-20
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (1838)
Cast
- Evan Rachel Wood
- Nikki Reed
- Holly Hunter
- Brady Corbet
- Jeremy Sisto
- Vanessa Hudgens
- Sarah Clarke
- Cynthia Ettinger
- Ulysses Estrada
- Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
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 Thirteen about?
- A straight-A thirteen-year-old is pulled into a volatile world of sex, drugs, petty crime, and self-invention by her charismatic new best friend.
- What is Thirteen like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Thirteen as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Thirteen violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Thirteen as mild.
- What did critics think of Thirteen?
- Critics broadly praised the film's focused writing, vivid direction, and remarkably convincing performances while noting that its anecdotal structure can feel cluttered.
- Which films are like Thirteen?
- Films with a similar feel include Girl, Interrupted, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Kids.
- How long is Thirteen?
- Thirteen runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Thirteen?
- In United States, Thirteen is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
