Review of American Teen (2008) by Joseph B — 08 Aug 2008

AMERICAN TEEN is an enjoyable, refreshing documentary that will inevitably play differently to all who see it, as everyone had a different adolescent experience.

This review of American Teen (2008) was written by Joseph B on 08 Aug 2008.

American Teen has generally received positive reviews.

Was this review helpful?

Yes

More reviews of this movie:

American Teen (2008) Movie Reviews (551)
American Teen (2008) Critic Reviews (116)
American Teen (2008) User Reviews (435)

More Reviews of American Teen

Review of American Teen (2008)

By Lou Lumenick (2,103) for New York Post (6,650) on 13 Aug 2012

The poster art for Nanette Burstein's American Teen, which follows five students through their senior year at a high school in Indiana, is…

Read Review

Review of American Teen (2008)

By Ella Taylor (978) for Village Voice (8,525) on 04 Mar 2013

Even when it's ripping off Juno and The Hills, American Teen is fascinating in the way of every good documentary--the more time you spend with…

Read Review

Review of American Teen (2008)

By Scott Tobias (1,684) for The A.V. Club (5,644) on 20 Feb 2014

Though it's compelling enough as soap opera, American Teen digs deeply into why kids grudgingly accept the roles they've been given and the…

Read Review

Review of American Teen (2008)

By Annie Wagner (40) for The Stranger (Seattle, WA) (891) on 20 Aug 2017

American Teen succeeds in being exactly as crisp, entertaining, and useless as a romantic comedy…

Read Review

Review of American Teen (2008)

By Jing B (75) on 22 Mar 2011

I have issues with this film. A lot of issues. Is it a great documentary? By no means. It doesn't really show us or touch anything new…

Read Review

Review of American Teen (2008)

By James Greenberg (88) for The Hollywood Reporter (7,050) on 22 Feb 2016

For all of its access and exposure, American Teen seems skin-deep. It's well shot, with good production values and lots of cool music…

Read Review

Review of American Teen (2008)

By Paul S (1,717) on 14 Oct 2011

As I watched the documentary American Teen, my brain kept telling me that this was just another of those posed, fake, reality shows…

Read Review

Review of American Teen (2008)

By Toni S (459) on 27 Sep 2011

Not particularly interesting and somewhat cliche-ridden at times, if though I can see how it may appeal to certain types of audiences…

Read Review

Review of American Teen (2008)

By Sean S (1,358) on 18 Dec 2012

A revealing #documentary looking into the pivotal world of 5 midwestern high school seniors trying to find their way…

Read Review

Review of American Teen (2008)

By J.r. Jones (1,066) for Chicago Reader (7,190) on 30 May 2014

This being senior year, Burstein can't help but capture some genuine drama, but there's a stage-managed quality to the movie that reminded…

Read Review

More reviews of this movie

Reviews of Similar Movies

Review of Jesus Camp (2006)

By Jess B (231) on 29 Aug 2009

This doc was not good, it just focussed on one group of Christians and it was depressing to see how these kids were at the verge of being brainwashed…

Read Review

Review of This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous (2017)

By Dennis Harvey (1,137) for Variety (12,700) on 02 Feb 2017

This glossy doc uncovers very little conflict or depth in a personality more colorful than it is interesting, at least as presented here…

Read Review

Review of Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth (2013)

By David Hinckley (25) for New York Daily News (5,623) on 06 Feb 2014

Out of all this, she emerges as a woman who speaks eloquently and plainly, whether describing her lifelong activism or recalling how the Color…

Read Review

Review of Step (2017)

By Dave M (1,479) on 03 Aug 2017

A feel good story that stories from seemingly rushed narrative process…

Read Review

Review of Whose Streets? (2017)

By Warren C (123) on 11 Aug 2017

Lots of misleading information that only helps to promote an unfounded hysteria in this country…

Read Review

Review of Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton (2017)

By Todd Jorgenson (1,852) for Cinemalogue.com (1,236) on 05 Oct 2017

As with other surfing documentaries, this portrait of the legendary big-wave daredevil has its best moments on the water…

Read Review

Review of Unrest (2017)

By Leslie Felperin (768) for Guardian (4,584) on 18 Oct 2017

[Jennifer] Brea builds up a multifaceted portrait of the condition and the toll it takes…

Read Review

Review of Trophy (2017)

By Simran Hans (401) for Observer (UK) (2,398) on 19 Nov 2017

The film gives voice to the commercial case for breeding and hunting, which feels at odds with the emotive way these kills are positioned…

Read Review

Review of The Vanquishing of the Witch Baba Yaga (2014)

By April W (341) on 26 Feb 2015

The only movie I ever hated at true/false…

Read Review

Review of Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (2004)

By Roshan P (75) on 14 May 2012

Not moving at all. And much too glossed over…

Read Review

More Reviews

Popular Movies Right Now

The Prodigy

2019

53%39 Reviews

Ready Player One

2018

72%1,541 Reviews

Alien: Covenant

2017

61%1,909 Reviews

The Judge

2014

67%866 Reviews

Hillbilly Elegy

2020

61%141 Reviews

The Platform

2019

70%94 Reviews

Midsommar

2019

69%207 Reviews

Interstellar

2014

83%1,261 Reviews

Where the Crawdads Sing

2022

63%92 Reviews

No Hard Feelings

2023

65%90 Reviews