Dazed And Confused Reviews

The Best Comedy of the 90's

When ‘Dazed and Confused’ came out in 1993 it was a revelation. Seventies-kitch had been seen before (check ‘The Simpsons’), but it was not nearly as huge as it is now (check ‘That Seventies Show’). Beyond the soundtrack and the hair though, the real revelation was the feel. Quentin Tarantino says, that when he puts in ‘Dazed and Confused’ he is “hanging out with some friends.” This is precisely the glory of the movie. Following dozens of characters over the course of eighteen or so hours, D & C puts you in the nerve center of a high school social circle. Jocks, nerds, wannabes, stoners, and dropouts all circle around with their own tiny hopes and dreams, and the camera watches them with no other agenda than to show you the human side of late-teenage life. There is no high concept behind ‘Dazed and Confused’ (except perhaps the concept of showing people get high).

‘Dazed and Confused’ centers around (but never exclusively on) the high-school quarterback Randall ‘Pink’ Floyd, who is friends with everyone, but is never fake for a moment. Pink’s dilemma is a moral one, (whether or not to lie to the coach and say he won’t do drugs), and his struggle with the problem shows us his goodness and idealism. It’s a ‘Catcher in the Rye’ for the next generation – and it's twice as much fun as that book ever was.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Almost 5 Stars

A film I wish I'd watched when I was a bit younger to see if it still says the same things to now as it would have done then. I can't really think of much to say other than if you're between the ages of 18-25 (possibly 30 for those old bifters), feel that you have a slightly different train of thought to the mainstream opinions of people your age then I recommend this film highly, you'll love it. Leagues ahead of Dawson's Creek and all that other kind of teenage angst guff

Boring

Tedious film that was not in any way captivating. Perhaps it’s a cultural thing but I just don’t get the US obsession with ‘high school high jinx’.

Vicarious nostalgia

They drink, they smoke weed, and they combine the two with driving, and emerge largely unscathed.

It isn’t difficult to make nihilistic, alarming films about kids not having anything constructive to do in their spare time. In most of these films, such kids will invariably turn to drink n’ drugs spirals, STDs, premature pregnancy, violence and crime. All very scary.

But in his film, Richard Linklater (director) does something unusual, attempting to capture that peculiar boredom/frustration/optimism that is the average school kid’s lot, without having anyone brutally murdered or even raped.

Following various rambling strands that take us through the last day of a high school year and the night’s adventures that follow, Linklater’s teenagers drive around, drink beer, gather in pool halls … and wait for something to happen.

Even if your teenhood wasn’t much like any of those in the film – and I know mine wasn’t – most people will recognise that strange mixture of hope and trepidation that these kids are going through. Without sentimentality, we are gently reminded what it was like to stand on the verge of real life, with the prospect of leaving behind the familiar, claustrophobic world of school.

It’s a little aimless, sure, and some of the jokes fall flat, but this film was just about different and interesting enough to amuse me all the way through. Watch out for Adam Goldberg’s raging neurotic, who has the best lines of the movie.

best ever

Dazed is simply the best American High School film of all time. The superb opening scene, with the car and Aerosmith's 'Sweet Emotion', is absolute genuis. If you've not seen this before, you have a treat awaiting - though the film just seems to get better with every viewing.

So what?

Linklater catches a slice of life, a 1976 school leavers last night, the end of their final term. It's okay in so far as it goes, but it doesn't really go anywhere, and for a long part of the film it's dull, a bit excruciating even in places. This is not the first Linklater film where I feel he hasn't drawn the most convincing performances from his actors either, too often they look like they're acting. In the end I found myself almost drawn in as we finally got to the last 10 minutes or so, but at the side of American Graffitit it pales into insignificance. A largely forgettable film.

Endlessly re-watchable

This is just one of those great movies to chill out to. Set on the last day of school and following various characters around, it can make you feel sentimental for the era even if you're too young to remember it!

Brilliant!

Not sure why so many people who review films on here assume there has to be a plot of some kind in order to please them. This movie just shows the every day lives of teenaagers in the late 70's, where there was no plot. These kids were only interested in cars, the opposite sex, drugs and music. Good luck to them, god forbid they should get an education and be boring all their lives like their parents! I love everything about this movie and have watched it from beginning to end at least 10 times. Great music, great characters and a real sense of nostalgia.

overrated

A storyline that seems to evolve around the younger highschool kids getting a beating with what would appear to be a cricket bat. The acting is pretty poor, dialogue boring. Anyone who would hold this up as the best highschool flick should watch any of: the breakfast club, ferris bueller or empire records. All of which will actually entertain you, sadly this film won't

[Highly rated reviewer]

Bored the ass off me!!!!!!!!

It would be ok if it only lasted half an hour, but unfortunatly this wasnt the case! Nothing much really happens, and i did find myself watching just to see what the big lesson at the end would be...........i'm still waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!