Suburbia

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Suburbia

R

1996

1h 58m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

28 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Five teen friends (Giovanni Ribisi, Amie Carey, Steve Zahn, Nicky Katt, Dina Spybey) spend their time hanging out behind a convenience store in a sleepy Texas town. Through pointless discussions, the group descends into a self-perpetuating cycle of malaise. Their routine, however, brakes when Pony (Jayce Bartok) returns to town after finding success as a rock star, forcing the group to question their desire to stay in the suburbs doing nothing with their lives.

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Critics Consensus

Suburbia succeeds in its blistering, ensemble-driven exploration of middle America, though it never quite reconciles the disparate stylings of director Richard Linklater and writer Eric Bogosian.

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Richard Williams

Guardian

Sep 22

There is affection in Linklater's eye, but no comfort in his conclusion. SubUrbia can only advance his reputation as the Eric Rohmer of the strip-malls.

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Quentin Curtis

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Sep 22

The movie is clearly in the hoary tradition of The Group. But Bogosian's perfect ear for the characters' gripes and gags, and Linklater's feel for rhythm make it close to a Big Chill for the slacker generation.

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Ryan Gilbey

Independent (UK)

Sep 22

As Linklater demonstrated on Slacker and Dazed and Confused, his forte is the fluid direction of ensemble casts, and he moves among the eight main characters with a seductive ease and compassion worthy of Rohmer.

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Matthew Sweet

Independent on Sunday

Sep 22

[Richard Linklater's] cinema has always been -- programmatically -- an endurance test, but this new entry really tries the patience.

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

09/01/2022

B

The tension underneath the movie is the friction between Bogosian’s tense urban sensibility and Linklater’s relaxed, generous style.

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Stephen Silver

Tilt Magazine

02/11/2022

B+

Suburbia is dark as hell- much darker, in fact, that I remembered it being, having not watched it since it was new (25th anniversary.)

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Richard Linklater

Director

Jayce Bartok

Pony

Amie Carey

Sooze

Nicky Katt

Tim

Ajay Naidu

Nazeer Chaldi

Parker Posey

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Synopsis

Five teen friends (Giovanni Ribisi, Amie Carey, Steve Zahn, Nicky Katt, Dina Spybey) spend their time hanging out behind a convenience store in a sleepy Texas town. Through pointless discussions, the group descends into a self-perpetuating cycle of malaise. Their routine, however, brakes when Pony (Jayce Bartok) returns to town after finding success as a rock star, forcing the group to question their desire to stay in the suburbs doing nothing with their lives.

Director: Richard Linklater
Producer: Anne Walker-McBay
Screenwriter: Eric Bogosian
Distributor: Warner Bros., Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Detour Filmproduction, Castle Rock Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 11, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $656.2K
Runtime: 1h 58m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround