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Avg. Critic Score: 67 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
14 Iffy for 14+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    San Francisco Chronicle | Amy Biancolli

    The Perks of Being a Wallflower hurts. It hurts because it depicts the loneliness, anxiety and all-out quivering mess of adolescence in a manner not often seen since John Hughes' heyday. Read full review

  • 100
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    The movie is tough-minded: It zeroes in on Patrick's anger at dating a closeted football star, and it doesn't let Charlie off the hook for his cruelty or self-pity. Read full review

  • 88
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    The Perks of Being a Wallflower finds an unexpectedly moving freshness in the old clichés by remaining attentive to the nuances of what happens within and between unhappy teenagers. Read full review

  • 88
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    It offers the rare pleasure of an author directing his own book, and doing it well. No one who loves the book will complain about the movie, and especially not about its near-ideal casting. Read full review

  • 75
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Carrie Rickey

    Unlike most films about teenagers, the performances are happy-sad-realistic. Lerman, who plays the least expressive of the three principals, does a fine job at suggesting the active inner life of an externally inexpressive youth. Read full review

  • 75
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Perks deserves points for going beyond the typical coming-of-age drivel aimed at teens. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    While there are humorous and poignant moments, this angst-filled story of tender kisses, awkward dances, friends drifting apart, kindly English teachers, unrequited crushes and drug-addled partying has a nagging sense of deja vu. Read full review

  • 60
    New York Daily News | Elizabeth Weitzman

    Lerman is suited to the title role in that he plays Charlie as wide-eyed and rather unmemorable. Watson doesn't seem entirely relaxed as an American teen, though she does serve as a lovely first crush. Among the adults making brief but notable appearances is Paul Rudd, as a sympathetic English teacher. Read full review

  • 55
    NPR | Mark Jenkins

    It's populated by characters who are just too good to be plausible. Read full review

  • 50
    The Hollywood Reporter |

    A heartfelt but rather generic coming-of-age dramedy. Read full review

View more reviews for The Perks of Being a Wallflower on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 14+ Book-based drama for mature teens tackles tough subjects.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that The Perks of Being a Wallflower (based on the same-named book by Stephen Chbosky) is an edgy, moving, and layered coming-of-age dramedy that's frank about the troubles and exploits of teenagers. You see them fret over their futures, push back against parental intervention, drink, make out, and use drugs. One girl also blithely jokes about being bulimic. Expect to see couples (both same- and opposite-sex) making out, teens bullying each other, and plenty of swearing. There's also a big reveal about a major, tragic trauma. Harry Potter's Emma Watson co-stars, but this is a much more mature role for her than Hermione.
  • Families can talk about how the movie depicts teens. Are the characters and their decisions realistic? What about the consequences of those decisions?
  • How does the movie portray drinking and drug use? Are they glamorized? If you've read the book, how does the movie's take on these subjects compare?
  • How does the movie depict bullying? What should teens do if that happens to them? What should they do if they see it happening to someone else?
  • Parents, ask your teens about the sense of alienation that the movie suggests teenagers have. Are real teens this disaffected and disillusioned?
The good stuff
  • message true2 Positive messages: Teens may sometimes feel lost or inconsequential, but when they find their footing and are able to tap into their authentic selves, they can feel (per the movie) "infinite."
  • rolemodels true1 Positive role models: Charlie has issues -- he blacks out when he's in a fight, for instance, seemingly out of rage -- but despite the challenges he's faced, he's a loyal friend with good intentions and a big, open heart. His friends, though juggling their own issues, are kind and supportive of one another.
What to watch for
  • violence false2 Violence: One character is shown to have assaulted another who's defenseless (to provide more specifics is a big spoiler, but it's tragic). A truck is shown barreling straight for another car, the driver in peril. Teen boys harass a gay student and, at one point, beat him up; another rises to his defense, pummeling the others (viewers see mostly the aftermath). Another gay teen hides in the closet for fear that his parents and friends will disown him or worse. A boy hits a girl.
  • sex false2 Sexy stuff: Both same- and opposite-sex couples make out (viewers see them kissing and groping each other), and there's talk of people having sex, though viewers don't really see it.
  • language false3 Language: Language includes "f--k" (once), "s--t," "ass," "a--hole," "jerk," "spaz," "piss," "slut," "hell," "goddamn," "oh my God," and more. The word "f-g" is used as a slur.
  • consumerism false1 Consumerism: Brands seen/mentioned include Olive Garden.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false4 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Underage teens drink (beer and hard liquor), mostly at parties, where they also smoke weed. One teen also has an acid trip.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Exclusive Features

Set Visit 10 Things We Learned From the Set Find out ten things we learned from our set visit with Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller and Emma Watson! Exclusive Cast Interview Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Johnny Simmons, Nina Dobrev and author/writer/director Stephen Chbosky talk about being a wallflower in high school.