Dazed and Confused

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Dazed and Confused

R

Released Sep 10, 1993

1h 43m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

70 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

This coming-of-age film follows the mayhem of group of rowdy teenagers in Austin, Texas, celebrating the last day of high school in 1976. The graduating class heads for a popular pool hall and joins an impromptu keg party, however star football player Randall Pink Floyd (Jason London) has promised to focus on the championship game and abstain from partying. Meanwhile, the incoming freshmen try to avoid being hazed by the seniors, most notably the sadistic bully Fred O'Bannion (Ben Affleck).

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Critics Consensus

Featuring an excellent ensemble cast, a precise feel for the 1970s, and a killer soundtrack, Dazed and Confused is a funny, affectionate, and clear-eyed look at high school life.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

It’s a strange film in many ways, affectless and directionless, coolly refusing the usual dramatic beats and climactic moments, and as unreflective as MOR rock.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 15, 2023

Full Review

Chuck Bowen

Slant Magazine

The meaninglessness of it all is the meaning of the film.

Mar 20, 2023

Full Review

Ben Thompson

Sight & Sound

Few of these people are going anywhere, but they are not going anywhere with style and dignity.

Feb 6, 2020

Full Review

Hayley Croke

Loud and Clear Reviews

The movie has such an effortless nature and a total sense of identity from the very start, making the characters and world that Linklater has built feel completely tangible and lived in.

Rated: 4.5

Oct 25, 2024

Full Review

Mark Jackson

Epoch Times

This nostalgic, spot-on, and hilarious cult classic is Texas teens attempting to give themselves an adulthood rite-of-passage to escape 1970's suburban ennui. 

Rated: 4/5

Sep 30, 2024

Full Review

Noah Berlatsky

Splice Today

Linklater, though, thinks everyone should have a chance to be who they are—or, like Mike briefly experimenting with being a tough guy, a chance to be who they aren’t.

Sep 25, 2023

Full Review

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Clarie J

Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused isn’t just a film—it’s a vibe. Set over the course of one humid Texas night in 1976, it captures the liminal space between adolescence and adulthood, rebellion and conformity, joy and aimlessness. It’s plot-light but emotion-heavy, built not on narrative momentum but on the electric charge of being young and unsure of what comes next. The ensemble cast is a time capsule of future stars—Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich—all effortlessly inhabiting their roles like they were born in bell-bottoms. McConaughey’s Wooderson is iconic from the moment he drawls “Alright, alright, alright,” but it’s the quieter performances that give the film its soul. Linklater doesn’t romanticize the era so much as steep us in it. The soundtrack slaps—Aerosmith, Foghat, ZZ Top—and every frame feels sun-bleached and slightly buzzed. But beneath the haze is a sharp observation about freedom, boredom, and the fleeting nature of moments that feel like they’ll last forever. Dazed and Confused doesn’t try to be profound. It just is. And that’s why it endures—like the last night of summer, you don’t want it to end.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/03/25

Full Review

Hank M

A classic coming of age

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/09/25

Full Review

Audience Member

This film is cool I guess. There’s no real goal here. It’s really just a way for Linklater to to reminisce on childhood memories lol. Clearly he was sticking it to the man a little, and the fact it’s an indie film gives it some credibility to the fact. The film heavily tries to tell you “take it easy man. Just live life.” While still having a hierarchy at the school lol. I did enjoy it for what it was though, and in fact I would watch it again. It’s a slice of American life in the 70’s. 3.5/5 stars.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/25

Full Review

K W

It's the late 1970's but absolutely timeless perfection

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/18/25

Full Review

J P

I just watched this for the first time, and I'm mad that I did. I should sue them for making such a stupid, boring, pointless movie. My gosh. What the heck was that? SO stupid.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/25

Full Review

Arul Y

This movie makes me want so some weed and drink beer. What a classic!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/11/25

Full Review

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Richard Linklater

Director

Jason London

Randall "Pink" Floyd

Wiley Wiggins

Mitch Kramer

Sasha Jenson

Don Dawson

Rory Cochrane

Ron Slater

Milla Jovovich

Michelle Burroughs

Dazed and Confused: Official Clip - O'Bannion's Payback

2:19

Dazed and Confused: Official Clip - The Emporium

2:21

Dazed and Confused: Official Clip - Cruising

2:46

Dazed and Confused: Official Clip - Mailbox Man's Revenge

1:42

Dazed and Confused: Official Clip - Just Keep Livin'

2:15

Dazed and Confused: Official Clip - Gilligan's Island Fantasy

2:18

Dazed and Confused: Official Clip - Don Hits on a Teacher

1:02

Dazed and Confused: Official Clip - High School Girls

1:19

Dazed and Confused: Official Clip - Why Can't We Be Friends?

2:50

Dazed and Confused: Official Clip - School's Out for Summer

2:17

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Dazed and Confused: Trailer 1

1:56

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Synopsis

This coming-of-age film follows the mayhem of group of rowdy teenagers in Austin, Texas, celebrating the last day of high school in 1976. The graduating class heads for a popular pool hall and joins an impromptu keg party, however star football player Randall Pink Floyd (Jason London) has promised to focus on the championship game and abstain from partying. Meanwhile, the incoming freshmen try to avoid being hazed by the seniors, most notably the sadistic bully Fred O'Bannion (Ben Affleck).

Director: Richard Linklater
Producer: Richard Linklater, Sean Daniel, James Jacks
Screenwriter: Richard Linklater
Distributor: Universal Pictures, Gramercy Pictures
Production Co: Alphaville Films, Detour Filmproduction
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 10, 1993, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Sep 29, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 24, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.0M
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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