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Year One
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Dazed and Confused

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 27 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy | Drama
Written by: Richard Linklater
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Release Date:
Theatrical: September 24, 1993
DVD: June 30, 1998
Running Time: 103 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R
Starring Jason London, Joey Lauren Adams, Ben Affleck, Rory Cochrane, Cole Hauser, Matthew McConaughey, Sasha Jenson, and Parker Posey
A period ensemble piece about a group of Texas teenagers on the last day of high school and the night that follows in 1976.
Also On Metacritic
FILM: A Scanner Darkly Bad News Bears Before Sunrise Before Sunset Fast Food Nation School of Rock Suburbia Tape The Newton Boys Waking Life
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Rolling Stone Peter Travers
Linklater is a sly and formidable talent, bringing an anthropologist's eye to this spectacularly funny celebration of the rites of stupidity. His shitfaced "American Graffiti" is the ultimate party movie -- loud, crude, socially irresponsible and totally irresistible.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten
One of the most exciting movies of this, or any other, year. It's smart, funny, and wonderfully crafted and performed.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Ty Burr
From the opening shot of a burnt-orange GTO cruising a high school parking lot to the strains of Aerosmith's ''Sweet Emotion,'' Richard Linklater's film nails mid-'70s adolescence so precisely that you'll need Clearasil by the end credits.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Desson Thomson
Richard Linklater's satirical take on high school life in the 1970s is not only funny and entertaining. It's practically a historic document of life during the smiley-face button era.
Read Full Review >USA Today Mike Clark
The "Age of Innocence" oozes anthropological dazzle, but Dazed and Confused may some day rate its own Smithsonian showings for clinically re-creating the High School Experience 1976. [20 Sept 1993]
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen
The surprise lies in Linklater's ability to breathe so much fresh life into a tired formula...This is a picture that recollects not merely a period in time but a state of mind.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Peter Ranier
It's a highly enjoyable spree that doesn't add up to a whole lot by the end. But you don't necessarily want it to add up to anything -- that's part of its charm. [24 Sept 1993]
Empire Steve Beard
Despite some gags which use the benefit of hindsight too much for their own good, this is a smart piece of filmmaking which suggests Linklater is already one of the more formidable talents of the 90s.
Read Full Review >The New Yorker Anthony Lane
What could have been a narrow, cultish little picture, a mere retro-trip, fans out into a broader study of longing and belonging. [4 Oct 1993, p.214]
Chicago Tribune Gene Siskel
For a while, I resented the sexist, cruel behavior in the film, much of it revolving around the hazing of underclassmen. But gradually, I saw the movie turn into a brash expose of stupid adolescent traditions. [24 Sept 1993]
San Francisco Chronicle Michael Snyder
The movie's episodic view of a collection of interesting friends, sweethearts, and cliques often rings so true that it might be a documentary...It's so right, you might think Linklater has mastered time travel. [24 Sept 1993]
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
This is a good film, but it would not cheer people up much at a high school reunion.
Read Full Review >Time Richard Corliss
But it also has enough buoyant '70s music to shake anybody's tail feather, and a kind of easy jubilance of narrative and character. Bet it makes you wanna dance. [11 Oct 1993]
The New York Times Elvis Mitchell
Dazed and Confused has an enjoyably playful spirit, one that amply compensates for its lack of structure. [24 Sept 1993, p.C12]
Variety Ken Eisner
One-liners and dry sight gags still abound, but the ennui-sodden formlessness of "Slacker" doesn't fly as well in this $ 6 million, smoothly lensed package, which calls for shapelier narrative and resolution.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Staff (Not Credited)
Expertly captures the details and textures of the time without condescending or lapsing into cheap-shot parody.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
What Linklater does exceptionally well is open the door on an era seventeen years in the past. This is 1976, from the music and cars...to the people and their attitudes. You'd have to climb into a time machine to get a better view...However, this is light entertainment -- nothing groundbreaking or even especially noteworthy.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
Disappointingly conventional though well-made...An OK teen movie, but not a whole lot more.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 9.7 (out of 10) based on 27 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jack T gave it a10:
A fun and entertaining portrayal of pop culture during the mid-70's. Don't look for a deep meaning or plot when watching this movie, but expect to enjoy it.
Dave A. gave it a10:
Simply put, this is a wonderful movie. It is among my top 10 all time favorite films. Something to note, do not judge a book by its cover! This is not some stupid wannabe Cheech and Chong comedy. Far from it! It is a heart warming trip back in time to high school life in the 1970s which can be appreciated even by those of us who were just toddlers in the 70s. See this film. Own the DVD. You'll love it, like most people do.
David M. gave it a10:
The best teenage coming of age flick ever. Bar none. American Graffiti, Fast Times at Ridgmont High and all the others look phony and worn by comparison.
hi hi gave it a10:
Good movie.
dakota k. gave it a10:
Seniors '76.
kate gave it a10:
This movie kicks ass man, weeeedddd hey this should by comedy not drama by the way...
BN Butler gave it a 10:
When watching this film, you feel like you are living your high school years all over again. It is a timeless classic that you can relate weather you grew up in 1976 or you grew up in 1996. Linkslater has painted us a picture of all the imaginable characters and all the good times that we probabley forgot, but knew had. Its like all the good times condensed in under 2 hours and all the right characters.
