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Fat Kid Rules the World

R 2012 1h 34m Comedy List
84% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
A high-school dropout (Matt O'Leary) saves the life of an overweight, suicidal misfit (Jacob Wysocki) and asks him to co-found a new punk-rock duo.

Critics Reviews

View All (25) Critics Reviews
Ben Sachs Chicago Reader The depiction of high school band life rings true at every turn, bringing a sense of authenticity to the familiar teenage drama. Nov 29, 2012 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times It's a lot better than it sounds like it has any right to be. Rated: 3.5/4 Nov 29, 2012 Full Review John Hartl Seattle Times Lillard - an actor best-known for his role in "The Descendants" - uses the locations well enough, but the result is still a standard coming-of-age picture. Rated: 2.5/4 Oct 25, 2012 Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens it's pretty clear that Fat Kid Rules The World really does rule...and so does Matthew Lillard. Nov 27, 2019 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com Tthough Fat Kid Rules the World is thankfully never as hyperbolized as it's title and certainly has its faults, it wears its heart on its sleeve and with excellent performances from up and comers O'Leary and Wysocki. Aug 5, 2019 Full Review Eric D. Snider EricDSnider.com The scenario sounds cliched, but it's brought to life by authentic characters, solid laughs, and surprisingly honest emotions. Rated: A- Jul 21, 2013 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (103) audience reviews
Sensei M On the same vibe as Napolean Dynomite, but with more heart and less humor. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/21/23 Full Review Audience Member I found ‘Fat Kid Rules the World' to be endearing and entertaining until it smashed into a dead ending that left me very disappointed. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Okay, so that acting isn't great, in fact it isn't even good, but this movie has the feel of SLC punk all the way through. It is a good story and fun to watch, and at the end of the day that's all that matters. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member I just kept wanting for him to stop eating. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review brandt c The guy that the synopsis called "charming" I find unbearably annoying. Just the way the character is written. Not badly written, just gets on my nerves personally. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Matthew Lillard's film succeeds far better than I had anticipated. Much of this film's success is rooted in the performances of Jacob Wysocki, Matt O'Leary and Billy Campbell. In some ways if seems like the movie should be predictable, but it constantly seems to surprise. Wysocki is particularly impressive. How a 30-something man can getaway with playing a teenager is amazing. He does. As does Matt O'Leary -- they both seem and appear to be children on the verge of adulthood. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Fat Kid Rules the World

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis A high-school dropout (Matt O'Leary) saves the life of an overweight, suicidal misfit (Jacob Wysocki) and asks him to co-found a new punk-rock duo.
Director
Matthew Lillard
Producer
Nick Morton, Matthew Lillard, Jane Charles, Jennifer Maas, Evan Wasserstrom, Talan Torriero
Screenwriter
Michael M.B. Galvin, Peter Speakman
Rating
R (Sexual Content|Drug Content|Brief Violent Images)
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Jan 22, 2013
Runtime
1h 34m