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Teenage Wasteland

Play trailer Teenage Wasteland 1h 50m Documentary History Play Trailer Watchlist
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A teacher inspires a group of teenagers in the early 1990s to make a student film and they uncover a conspiracy that is poisoning their community. Thirty years later they revisit this transformative experience.

Cast & Crew

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Jesse Moss

Director

Amanda McBaine

Director

Jesse Moss

Screenwriter

Amanda McBaine

Screenwriter

Teddy Leifer

Producer

Florrie Priest

Producer

Critics Reviews

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Nicolas Rapold Financial Times Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s Middletown restores a little faith in human nature. Feb 8, 2025 Full Review Lisa Kennedy Variety The directors tell a story of teenage tenacity but also one of adults grappling with the grit and hopes of their younger selves. That could have been overly sentimental. It’s not. Feb 6, 2025 Full Review Zachary Lee RogerEbert.com It never feels sensationalized, and it is a testament to McBaine and Moss’ integrity to let this shocking story speak for itself. Jan 30, 2025 Full Review Marissa Hill Shade Studios Middletown left me wistful for a high school course like Electronic English—an incubator for curiosity and courage. Jul 30, 2025 Full Review Rob Thomas Not That Rob Thomas (Substack) Boy, could we use a lot more civic courage right now. And the ‘90s teens at Middletown High School, with their clunky camcorders, can show the way. Rated: 3.5/4 Apr 14, 2025 Full Review Emily DuGranrut In Review Online Perhaps McBaine and Moss’s goal isn’t simply to uplift viewers in the face of pervasive dysfunction... Instead, they remind us that personal stories can offer us all a lifeline when the larger system seems beyond repair. Mar 8, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews
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Teenage Wasteland

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Movie Info

Synopsis A teacher inspires a group of teenagers in the early 1990s to make a student film and they uncover a conspiracy that is poisoning their community. Thirty years later they revisit this transformative experience.
Director
Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine
Producer
Teddy Leifer, Florrie Priest, Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine, Danny Breen
Screenwriter
Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine
Production Co
Closer Media
Genre
Documentary, History
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 26, 2025, Limited
Runtime
1h 50m