64
Metascore
21 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Vanity FairRichard LawsonVanity FairRichard LawsonRarely in Big Time Adolescence does anything feel canned or beyond the realm of the credible. All the characters in the film seem to have inner lives; we believe that they exist past the confines of the film. It’s a pleasure to be in their warm and appealing company, even as the proceedings take a turn for the mildly dire.
- 75IndieWireEric KohnIndieWireEric KohnAs coming-of-age stories about wayward teens go, writer-director Jason Orley’s debut is a sturdy, endearing portrait of youth in revolt that takes few surprising turns. But the two actors sell their dynamic well enough to inject the story with palpable authenticity despite the familiar premise.
- 75Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattEntertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattIf Big Time isn’t exactly a PSA for good adulting, it’s still an endearingly messy portrait of boyhood and manhood and all the lessons in between.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForePete Davidson is so on-target you might forget all the lines he's flubbed on Saturday Night Live.
- 67The PlaylistGregory EllwoodThe PlaylistGregory EllwoodOrley’s direction is fine, and the picture is well made for a low budget indie, but Davidson is all you’ll really remember when you leave the theater. And for many, that’ll be enough.
- 67The Film StageJordan RaupThe Film StageJordan RaupAs the fun hits a brick wall, the film doesn’t quite have the pathos of other coming-of-age stories like The Edge of Seventeen, more focused on selling the amiable, Superbad-esque hang out vibe that is so attuned to Davidson’s brand of comedy, but when it is time for some comeuppance, it’s easy to feel for both Mo and Zeke.
- 67The A.V. ClubCaroline SiedeThe A.V. ClubCaroline SiedeA debauched but heartfelt coming-of-age story about impressionable teenage boys and the imperfect male role models who influence them. Davidson’s most important skill is his ability to share the spotlight and create real chemistry with his co-stars.
- 63Slant MagazineSteven ScaifeSlant MagazineSteven ScaifeThe film is at its weakest when it has to do drama, since the fallout of Mo and Zeke’s actions feels perfunctory and tossed-off in the rush to an ending, a hasty come-down after the proverbial party.
- 60VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanBig Time Adolescence isn’t bad, but it’s a trifle.