The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Rotten Tomatoes

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

PG-13

Released Oct 12, 2012

1h 43m

Comedy

Drama

Romance

LGBTQ+

List

85%

Tomatometer

172 Reviews

89%

Audience Score

100,000+ Ratings

Socially awkward teen Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a wallflower, always watching life from the sidelines, until two charismatic students become his mentors. Free-spirited Sam (Emma Watson) and her stepbrother Patrick (Ezra Miller) help Charlie discover the joys of friendship, first love, music and more, while a teacher sparks Charlie's dreams of becoming a writer. However, as his new friends prepare to leave for college, Charlie's inner sadness threatens to shatter his newfound confidence.

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Critics Consensus

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a heartfelt and sincere adaptation that's bolstered by strong lead performances.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

This is boring, and it's partly that believability thing. How many alienated outsiders do you have to gather together before they become insiders? Alternatively, they are all so good-looking, smart and well-heeled, they are winners, surely.

Sep 1, 2018

Full Review

Violet Lucca

Film Comment Magazine

"Like real teenagers, Watson and Miller convincingly move from glowing objects of desire to comic relief to deeply troubled human beings."

Jun 28, 2013

Full Review

David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

I think for a first film this guy who wrote the book and has adapted it for the screen has done a terrific job and I really found these characters sympathetic.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 29, 2012

Full Review

José C. Donayre Guerrero

EscribiendoCine

A very lively film whose ending gives a sensation of leaving behind a youth that, although dramatic, love-filled and happy, is never permanent. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 8/10

Feb 12, 2024

Full Review

Michael Cuby

them.

It can sometimes be hard to watch a film adaptation of one of your favorite teenage books because, too often, they fail to live up to the brilliance of the page. Luckily, this was not the case for the 2012 adaptation...

Oct 3, 2022

Full Review

Gautam Anand

The Cinemaholic

The films biggest achievement is how beautifully it captures the rich tapestry of teenage experiences soaked in lessons learned for a lifetime.

Rated: 4.5/5

Mar 22, 2022

Full Review

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First name L

Ascends beyond the limitations of it's source material. The fist time I saw it, I felt like Charlie; when I returned to it years later, I understood everyone else. How many movies age with us like that?

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/22/24

Full Review

s a

this is the best movie i have ever seen definitely my favorite

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/03/24

Full Review

Luz Victoria B

God, I have no words to describe how this movie made me feel. It was so good, that it had the power to change de way I see things. I first saw it when I was 12, my dad showed it to me. He said and I quote "you will never forget this movie" and I just think he was right. They were so right. All my life up until then I had this feeling or this strange sence, that people somehow changed over the years, but I could have never put it into words if it wasn't for this movie. Because people do forget what's like to be 16 when they turn 17, even I did. Like a year ago I bought the book, the new version, and it's the first time ever, that I can truely say that the movie it's just as brilliant, just as good, just as touching. I felt understood, I felt like I mattered. And it's such an embracing feeling for those who felt alone. This book, this storie, changed me, and encouraged me to even write letters to, and it got me through something that I could not have dealed whith alone. I recommend this movie to anyone, at any age. Is a heartwarming time, even if they struggle, because in the end, they are okay, and it makes you feel like you are going to be too.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/28/24

Full Review

Hargie M

a testament to the power of storytelling to connect us, to inspire us, and to remind us that we are not alone in our struggles. It's a film that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, and for that, it will always hold a special place in my own journey of self-discovery.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/27/24

Full Review

NahÃºm C

The best teen movie there can be. He has it all, drugs, abuse, trauma, bad parents. It is a total criticism of adolescence.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/24/24

Full Review

lackeryu L

Can he please have one good day??

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/04/24

Full Review

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Stephen Chbosky

Director

Logan Lerman

Charlie

Emma Watson

Sam

Ezra Miller

Patrick

Mae Whitman

Mary Elizabeth

Kate Walsh

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Synopsis

Socially awkward teen Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a wallflower, always watching life from the sidelines, until two charismatic students become his mentors. Free-spirited Sam (Emma Watson) and her stepbrother Patrick (Ezra Miller) help Charlie discover the joys of friendship, first love, music and more, while a teacher sparks Charlie's dreams of becoming a writer. However, as his new friends prepare to leave for college, Charlie's inner sadness threatens to shatter his newfound confidence.

Director: Stephen Chbosky
Producer: Lianne Halfon, Russell Smith, John Malkovich
Screenwriter: Stephen Chbosky
Distributor: Summit Entertainment
Production Co: Mr. Mudd
Rating: PG-13 (All Involving Teens|A Fight|Sexual References|Drug and Alcohol Use|Mature Thematic Material|Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 12, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.7M
Runtime: 1h 43m

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