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The Kings of Summer
2013
Comedy
Drama
1h 35m
Three unhappy teenage boys flee to the wilderness where they build a makeshift house and live off the land as masters of their own destiny. Or at least that's the plan. (sundance.org)
Directed by:
Written by:
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The Kings of Summer
2013
Comedy
Drama
1h 35m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 55.17% from 975 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews
(982)
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Rated 13 Sep 2013
8
79th
After the credits rolled, I had the realization that I truly loved this movie. Not since Beginners have I had the same unique feeling of being content with what I just watched. Its funny, good to look at, packs emotional weight and just a great time. Will be revisiting this a few times yet.
Rated 13 Sep 2013
Rated 18 Mar 2014
80
81st
A mix of Mud, Into The Wild and ~*InDiE MoViE MaGiC*~ that worked surprisingly well. I was a bit hesitant at first, but this movie lowered my defenses quicker than two glasses of 12 year old Glen Insertnamehere. Main drawback is how most characters are too much of one thing: the weird kid is too weird, gruff dad is too gruff, protective parents are too protective, etc. But who cares when a movie leaves you feeling this... what's that word normal functioning people use, hah-pi?
Rated 18 Mar 2014
Rated 06 Dec 2015
64
68th
In a world where coming of age means "rounding up your best buddies to build a terra-bound tree-house from shit stolen off construction sites and then invite the girl you secretly adore but can't bring yourself to tell, only to have her stolen away by one of those buddies, whom you then banish from the sacred fort for betrayal, only to redeem yourself in the eyes of the girl by sucking snake venom from her leg, only to have her choose the other guy again," Kings of Summer reigns supreme.
Rated 06 Dec 2015
Rated 09 Sep 2013
90
94th
Loved it. From start to finish. It s that simple sometimes.
Rated 09 Sep 2013
Rated 07 Oct 2013
70
46th
In a movie where 3 15 year olds go live in the woods for a month, the most unrealistic thing in this film is Alison Brie dating someone that dorky.
Rated 07 Oct 2013
Rated 23 Dec 2013
80
90th
I enjoyed this movie a lot. I appreciated that it wasn't as heavy-handed as others in the genre. Something that caught me off guard was how funny it was - the humour almost felt like it belonged in another film. It was very much appreciated though & it didn't detract from the emotion & poignancy of the other scenes. The three leads were good & the supporting cast, specifically Nick Offerman, Alison Brie and Megan Mullally, were great too. The direction and cinematography were also really nice.
Rated 23 Dec 2013
Rated 16 Oct 2013
73
59th
Shows how a few well acted well written characters in an otherwise by the numbers coming of age movie can make it watchable and enjoyable.
Rated 16 Oct 2013
Rated 15 Dec 2013
75
54th
Really funny in places. The scenes where the kids interact with their parents are golden. The climax is a bit rushed and a bit too formulaic with its transitions. The emotional notes are strong, it looks beautiful, and the performances are really good. It just needed a bit more.
Rated 15 Dec 2013
Rated 28 May 2014
30
11th
Anyone expecting a Stand By Me coming-of-age adventure will be sorely disappointed by this one. Unlikeable characters, unoriginal everything, and a distinct lack in consistency (from genre to style to tone to soundtrack) is the name of the game here. Also includes a couple of random fantasy sequences (God help me) and a climax involving a snake bite (oh fuck off). Very boring and instantly forgettable.
Rated 28 May 2014
Rated 25 Aug 2015
80
86th
Moises Arias' Biaggio is probably the funniest teenage character this side of McLovin. I wish Vogt-Roberts, who's blessed with a fresh and refined comedic voice, hadn't fallen back on the tried and tested girl-comes-between-two-guys formula in the final act, but the rest of his film is original, so all is forgiven.
Rated 25 Aug 2015
Rated 15 Sep 2013
75
72nd
It feels like your average indie comedy but damn if it's not well made.
Rated 15 Sep 2013
Rated 28 Sep 2013
4
90th
Great cast, great shots, great soundtrack. Wise, touching and extremely funny. A pure delight! - Very Good.
Rated 28 Sep 2013
Rated 26 Sep 2013
10
92nd
Easily one of the best coming of age films I've ever seen. Beautifully shot and legitimately funny. Like, laugh out loud funny. Nick Offerman and that kid from Disney were hilarious. Great performances everywhere. Charming as hell, I loved it.
Rated 26 Sep 2013
Rated 08 Feb 2014
75
80th
Has its ups and downs. Hilarious and moving at times, but also a bit of a stretch at other times. Still way more interesting and heartfelt than most releases.
Rated 08 Feb 2014
Rated 28 Oct 2013
85
80th
What surprised me most is how funny this is. I didn't even go in expecting much. Expected a slightly humorous indie dramedy, one that throws in a few jokes but is mostly a drama. But nah, this is really funny for the most part. I enjoy the musical choices a lot and of course it pulls on your heart strings like a good coming of age tale does.
Rated 28 Oct 2013
Rated 13 Nov 2013
90
88th
I really enjoyed this movie; it's a smart and well-made production composed with a lot of beautiful shots.
Rated 13 Nov 2013
Rated 03 Apr 2018
70
46th
Top badass moment? Realising that “coming-of-age” is actually very similar to having a “mid-life-crisis”, but with less money. I don’t remember coming-of-age myself, so that probably means I’m mentally about ten years old; which would explain a great many things. Looking forward to blowing my whole pension pot on an Aston Martin though. Oh yes, this movie. Well it’s got some very funny lines in it. Just don't reality check it and you'll be fine. No cats, chainsaws or decapitations.
Rated 03 Apr 2018
Rated 18 Feb 2014
79
56th
Hey, something fun! One particular character really, reeeeaallly pushes the funny/quirky button, which sometimes detracts from what is a mostly sincere and straightforward story of friendship and growing up and blah blah. I've made it sound horrible. It's not. It's time fairly well spent.
Rated 18 Feb 2014
Rated 30 Mar 2014
68
65th
What it lacks in polish it makes up for with honesty and earnestness. A good coming of age story. All three young actors played their parts well, which is refreshing.
Rated 30 Mar 2014
Rated 23 Mar 2014
83
76th
A classic tale of friendship and self discovery. Touching on points of influence that ranges from Wes Anderson to Judd Apatow, whilst creating something which is purer and truer than either of those have served up in recent times. This is a warm and satisfying slice of childhood nostalgia.
Rated 23 Mar 2014
Rated 05 Apr 2016
2
21st
Refer to C.S. Lewis's famous quote about putting away childish things. Mounted with little artistry and a lack of multidimensional characters, but nevertheless an inoffensive and somewhat funny little coming-of-age story. Just a bit too by-the-book to render anything truly resonant where it tries.
Rated 05 Apr 2016
Rated 16 Jul 2013
80
77th
All indie movies tend to be coming of age stories. But at least this one is funny too.
Rated 16 Jul 2013
Rated 26 Oct 2016
62
46th
Plot 12/20 Fiction 12/20 Casting/Acting 13/20 Worldbuilding 12/20 Entertainment 13/20
Rated 26 Oct 2016
Rated 13 May 2023
53
23rd
Melodramatic but in a way I don’t find appealing. Still some beauty
Rated 13 May 2023
Rated 07 Oct 2013
90
89th
This one will stay in my mind for a long time. It's a great movie.
Rated 07 Oct 2013
Rated 10 Oct 2013
80
44th
Ultimately predictable but still satisfying coming of age story with interesting performances and good writing.
Rated 10 Oct 2013
Rated 16 Dec 2015
60
62nd
Very good.
Rated 16 Dec 2015
Rated 04 Oct 2017
62
46th
Fuck Moises Arias but otherwise pretty good. Good writing, mostly good acting, but come on Moises, constantly putting your arms up in the air can't be the bedrock of your performance!
Rated 04 Oct 2017
Rated 13 Jan 2014
92
71st
good acting, funny, if i had to say it it's a mix between superbad and stand by me
Rated 13 Jan 2014
Rated 12 Sep 2013
78
60th
typical "warmcolors-acousticmusic-abitdepressing-coming-of-age" movie... lovely details, fun plot, great cast, however some parts just don't fit and diminishes the overall charm
Rated 12 Sep 2013
Rated 05 Dec 2013
78
53rd
I'm a bit bored by indie coming-of-age films, but this one was a pleasant surprise. It has a real eccentric spirit to it (some off-kilter montage and shots), very nice photography, a great cast and it's genuinely funny. The story is familiar but it does good things with it.
Rated 05 Dec 2013
Rated 15 Jun 2015
20
3rd
God I hated this film. A juvenile premise filled with juvenile characters. Even the adults are unrealistic and annoying despite being played by talented actors.
Rated 15 Jun 2015
Rated 08 May 2015
78
71st
:D
Rated 08 May 2015
Rated 10 Aug 2014
60
20th
I feel like Kings of Summer tried hard to be deeper than it was. It's not a bad movie, but is not a poignant coming of age tale like Stand By Me or other similar classics.
Rated 10 Aug 2014
Rated 27 Sep 2013
77
42nd
the film had a lot of funny moments, and I appreciate the randomness factor.
Rated 27 Sep 2013
Rated 03 Mar 2016
35
38th
#16#, exp3, rw2, story, ratings, support
Rated 03 Mar 2016
Rated 13 Oct 2017
66
50th
Coming of age is one of my favorite psuedo-genres, so I had high hopes for this. Unfortunately, the three lead characters are uninteresting, not particularly funny, and have conventional arcs. That said, I truly loved basically everything involving the adults. They were all great comedic actors, with folks like Kumail Nanjiani and Tony Hale getting so much out of just a minute or two of screen time.
Rated 13 Oct 2017
Rated 27 Dec 2014
26
78th
kids rule adults drool
Rated 27 Dec 2014
Rated 28 Jan 2015
40
34th
At times its a great depiction of teenage hopelessness. At others its unbelievable, meandering, and insulting.
Rated 28 Jan 2015
Rated 27 Nov 2015
82
80th
What sets Kings of Summer apart from the countless coming-of-age-films-with-quirky-indie-characters is its simplicity. There aren't any crazy story arcs or tragedies, just a couple of angry kids doing what angry kids do. Its funny and honest.
Rated 27 Nov 2015
Rated 23 Nov 2013
75
62nd
BILDUNGSROMANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN I think you get the point.
Rated 23 Nov 2013
Rated 03 Aug 2017
71
72nd
Intimate and lovingly shot, a coming-of-age movie that's about wanting to come of age too fast. That's about it.
Rated 03 Aug 2017
Rated 29 Oct 2013
70
48th
Solid coming of age film with some nice performances from the actors.
Rated 29 Oct 2013
Rated 22 Dec 2013
70
73rd
I really liked that the teenagers were played by actual teenagers. Biaggio is a neat character but I'm not sure why he was in this movie.
Rated 22 Dec 2013
Rated 08 Sep 2013
64
22nd
Likeable coming of age tale with some nice photography (if a little heavy on the pull focus) and a quirky charm reminding me a little of "Submarine". Nick Offerman is very funny as the grouchy dad.
Rated 08 Sep 2013
Rated 03 Oct 2013
80
60th
Really small, smart picture. Doesn't paint kids as saints or sinners, just kids. Their parents are dicks though.
Rated 03 Oct 2013
Rated 12 Oct 2013
90
94th
I love a good coming of age story and the fact that this one made me laugh consistently made it even more enjoyable. I thought the boys were high quality, not to mention the inclusion of already known talents in Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and Alison Brie. Sure it was a bit unrealistic but it didn't bother me. Sort of fantasy realism.
Rated 12 Oct 2013
Rated 02 Dec 2013
90
79th
I'm a sucker for the coming-of-age movie, in all its forms, and The Kings of Summer is one of the best. It taps into the wonder of the world and the excitement and appeal of freedom in the way Stand By Me and Moonrise Kingdom do, and it does it just as well. A beautiful, warm and effervescent gem.
Rated 02 Dec 2013
Rated 20 Oct 2013
76
72nd
ergenlik, baba-ogul uyusmazligi, monopoly, evden kaçmak, ormanda yasamak, sehir içi orman, agir çekim (slow motion), ev insaa etmek, arkadaslik, yilan, fare, kurallar (aileleriyle sikinti ayasayan iki arkadas evden kaçip ormanda bir kulübe insaa ederler ve bir arkadaslari daha onlara katilir. İki arkadas avcilik yaparken biri de toplayicilik yapar. Bir kiz arkadaslarini da kulübelerine cagirinca isler degisir. Yönetmenin farkli bir tarzi vardi. Keyifle izlendi.
Rated 20 Oct 2013
Rated 02 Dec 2013
83
66th
I wouldn't call this the King of the coming of age films but it was really excellent...
Rated 02 Dec 2013
Rated 07 Jul 2014
44
75th
Great film, especially for teens. Comedies don't usually hire such talented directors.
Rated 07 Jul 2014
Rated 05 Dec 2013
50
33rd
It only manages to be what it wants to be -- a beautifully shot coming of age story -- in its last 30 min, when Vogt-Roberts finally leaves behind his Guy Ritchie-ish tricks and Joe completely alone in the woods. Growing up sucks -- specially if your parents are a dickhead like Joe's or weirdos like Patrick's -- and these kids' feverish dream of ruling their lives are presented basically in artsy slowmos -- that perfect KO was pretty cool, though. Biaggio's one-liners save the day here.
Rated 05 Dec 2013
Rated 17 Jun 2013
65
69th
The Kings of Summer is a good coming-of-age movie. It hits all the right notes and feels completely genuine, which is important here. This is a very funny, very sweet movie, and I really enjoyed watching it. It has good actors and it has a story which will resonate with the majority of people in the audience. It suffers from repetition in its story, leading to a lot feeling like filler, but it's the enjoyable kind of filler that is really tough to hate.
Rated 17 Jun 2013
Rated 07 Jul 2015
78
72nd
This is a good film that has some funny and some serious moments. The film has a nice ensemble cast. Moises Arias steals the film with a very likeable performance. The script is straight forward but affective. Overall I would recommend this film.
Rated 07 Jul 2015
Rated 22 Jun 2015
75
66th
Neat, relatable story about teenage rebellion, boys adventure, friendship and heartbreak. The three young actors are naturals. Worth a watch.
Rated 22 Jun 2015
Rated 15 Jul 2014
68
56th
Pretty cute, fun and feelgood. And cute. And Nick Offerman
Rated 15 Jul 2014
Rated 26 Nov 2014
35
16th
A nice concept, but really poorly executed. Nowhere near enough laughs in here, Biaggio is one of those hideous quirky-for-the-sake-of-quirky characters, and you can telegraph pretty much *everything* that's going to happen from the 20th minute onwards. A shame.
Rated 26 Nov 2014
Rated 28 Oct 2013
85
76th
A very creative film. One that puts a sort of Fantasy spin on the coming of age story. However this film does so in small doses that keep it very grounded and not really all that over the top unrealistic. The characters were all very well written with Biaggio being my favorite. The only thing that didn't work for me was the rift between Joe and Patrick. The scene where they start fighting felt a little needlessly melodramatic. Though overall the film felt very organic.
Rated 28 Oct 2013
Rated 03 Nov 2013
95
82nd
Nice photography, interesting characters and a well played psychological conflict. I wish I had had the opportunity, and friends, to build a house in the woods. I did, though, miss the part of the credits that says no animals were harmed.
Rated 03 Nov 2013
Rated 07 Jun 2013
67
40th
The movie is uneven with many predictable parts; however, it is very charming and enjoyable. It has a very good first and second act. Then everything kind of goes awry, but it still has semi-successful ending. Parts of this movie are very funny.
Rated 07 Jun 2013
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