43
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumThere's a shocking, casual quality to the self-destructive narcissism of the pretty, petty kids squandering their lives in the L.A. sunshine of The Young Unknowns.
- 80SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirIt isn't a masterpiece; there are occasional clunkers in Jelski's dialogue (adapted from a play by Wolfgang Bauer) and the acting, although superior to maybe 85 percent of Hollywood movies, is a little uneven.
- 60Village VoiceEd ParkVillage VoiceEd ParkNumbing but effective debut.
- 50New York PostMegan LehmannNew York PostMegan LehmannA skin-deep examination of a shallow lifestyle that draws a conclusion so logical it's almost superfluous.
- 42Portland OregonianKim MorganPortland OregonianKim MorganThe Young Unknowns flails about, sometimes realistically, but the cumulative effect is "so what?" These characters may be young and unknown, but they feel old and in the way.
- 40TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghJelski's screenplay, a finalist in the fiercely competitive Walt Disney Screenwriting Fellowship competition, is repetitive and stagy.
- 30Chicago ReaderHank SartinChicago ReaderHank SartinThis bleak little drama started as a play, and I'd bet that even onstage it felt contrived.
- 25San Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannSan Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannDredges up every cliche about druggy, obnoxious dreamers on the fringes of Hollywood and assumes that said cliches have the power to shock and surprise.
- 25Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThere is nothing to redeem this movie, and no real reason to see it.
- 20VarietyJoe LeydonVarietyJoe LeydonA strident, painfully repetitive and hopelessly stage-bound drama about self-indulgent twentysomethings on the fringes of the L.A. film scene.