Suburbia

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Suburbia

R

Released Oct 11, 1996

1h 58m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

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25 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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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Their conversation, originally written by Bogosian for a stage play, is talky, but I like that. It doesn't seem too theatrical to me because these characters have absolutely nothing else to do except talk.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Mike Clark

USA Today

Linklater's finessing of acting ensembles is very proficient -- again.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

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

Rated: B

Sep 1, 2022

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Stephen Silver

Tilt Magazine

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

Rated: B+

Feb 11, 2022

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Michael Atkinson

Spin

Effortlessly funny, Linklater's film is also devastating and spooky in its dead-on rendering of middle-class, Middle America nothingness.

Oct 25, 2019

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Rob Nelson

City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul

Linklater is collaborating with a certified grown-up who also happens to be the screenwriting equivalent of a shock-jock; laid-back bong-hits have been supplanted by endless black-comic cruelty and a lot of sociocultural pissing and moaning.

Sep 1, 2009

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Kevin L

That's it, I'm done w/ Linklamer for good. I tried, but aside from the two early ones that established him, the rest have been a bore. I get his take here, but I'm not gonna go w/ Ebert's 'Godot' comparison. Hell no. Just another slacker flick w/ less interesting, more annoying characters; Bogosian or not. Who's he anyhow? 2.4 stars Parker Posey deserved better.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/05/25

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Tara C.

My favorite movie forever.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

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Kathleen H

So, is this some cinematic great? No, not really, but that scene where Steve Zahn is running backwards with a car is pure comedy. I don't think I've laughed like that in a long time. I watched this when it came out and it was a staple. It's one of the few movies that I have to own. Steve Zahn will always be a favorite of mine because of this movie. Seriously, just don't take it so seriously.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/27/25

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thiago s

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, a história é mais ou menos, mas o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e mais relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/18/25

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J E

More like a Kevin Smith movie than Linklater. And a huge step down from Dazed. Almost as if it wasnt even the same filmmaker. Steve Zahn, Ribisi and Nicky Katt (RIP) were standouts but the others were miscast.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

04/17/25

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Mason M

Many consider in one of Linklater's worst films but I think it is just wonderful. The director's signature hyper realism is on full display here and the second half is surprisingly deep. I also love all of the performances, especially Steve Zahn's.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/07/24

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Richard Linklater

Director

Jayce Bartok

Pony

Amie Carey

Sooze

Nicky Katt

Tim

Ajay Naidu

Nazeer Chaldi

Parker Posey

Erica

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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

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