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The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys Image
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Metascore
69 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.9 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 21 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Jena Malone, Kieran Culkin
  • Summary: Based on Chris Fuhrman's original and audacious coming-of-age novel, this film is a 70's-set drama featuring two charming but irreverent Catholic high schoolers who confront the mysteries of adulthood. (ThinkFilm)

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    100
    Essentially a coming-of-age story set in working-class North Carolina in the 1970s. But it's so startlingly original that it transcends the genre. This is a wonderful film, from puckish start to momentous finish.
    All this critic's reviews
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Thomas
    90
    The look and feel of the film is entirely beguiling. It is deliberately not a period piece, heavy with dated styles and fads, but instead evokes a sense of timelessness.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    60
    There are moments of wonderful insight, but while the booming, fully animated adventures of the Atomic Trinity (by "Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane) that Care intercuts with the live action at first seem a good idea, they ultimately upset the film's carefully established mood.

See all 31 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. JasmineS.
    10
    This movie was really amazing to watch, it makes me think of real life situations, and how it really is like growing up. With tragedy and some predictable, yet unexpected twists.. I loved it! The acting was just great from young people.. I really recommend watching this movie. It touched me, and I loved watching it. It's like me & my friends!… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. HollyeC.
    9
    I loved this movie, i thought it was great. i would've given it a 10 but it was a bit of a shocker when ...(spoilers omitted)... i guess having a dramatic turn is good in a movie but it did get a bit boring and somewhat lost my attention, maybe i just have a short attention span, oh well. i really liked it because emilie hirsch and kieran culkin are very hott and good actors. that's my review on the movie, it's not very specific, but whatever. oh yeah, it would've been a lot better if joey wasn't in the movie, he was kind of wierd.. no offense to you joey lovers out there.. since i know he has so many.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 15 User Reviews

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