---
title: "Dazed and Confused"
year: 1993
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/dazed-and-confused"
fi1m_id: "dazed-and-confused"
imdb_id: "tt0106677"
tmdb_id: 9571
wikidata_id: "Q39975"
fi1m_score: 86
critics_score: 76
critics_reviews: 17
published: "2026-09-14"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:16.522575+00:00"
region: "ID"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dazed and Confused (1993)

Directed by Richard Linklater · 1h 42m · Comedy, Drama

## Identity

Dazed and Confused

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/dazed-and-confused
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** dazed-and-confused
- **IMDb ID:** tt0106677
- **TMDB ID:** 9571
- **Wikidata ID:** Q39975
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106677/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9571, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39975

**Fi1m score: 86** · Critics 76 from 17 reviews

*In a sentence:* School is over, the cars are going in circles, and we are in no hurry to get home

> Richard Linklater’s last-day-of-school comedy is warm, funny and alert to the cruelty beneath the celebrations. Its wandering occasionally wears thin, but the ensemble and the music make spending time with these teenagers a pleasure.

## Synopsis

On the last day of school in 1976, teenagers turn their attention to the hours ahead. Older pupils plan parties while newcomers face hazing, and groups begin looking for somewhere to go. Jason London plays Pink, Wiley Wiggins plays Mitch and Rory Cochrane plays Slater, with Matthew McConaughey as Wooderson. Richard Linklater writes and directs an ensemble comedy-drama that follows the cruising, conversations and encounters around the end of the school year. Their immediate concerns are who to spend the evening with, where the next party might be and how to get there.

## Review

Richard Linklater’s *Dazed and Confused* is a funny, patient film about the last day of school in 1976, and we recommend it with one reservation: its drifting occasionally becomes repetition. The teenagers have time to fill, cars to cruise in and parties to think about, which is quite enough to occupy them. Linklater takes their wish to have a good evening seriously. He also notices how much of that evening can be spent waiting for something better to start.

As writer and director, Linklater is good at letting a conversation wander without losing track of the people having it. Sandra Adair’s editing keeps the separate groups within reach of each other, so a change of company can supply the lift another film would get from a plot development. The joins are easy to miss, which suits a comedy about people with little sense of urgency. We get time to notice the listener as well as the person holding forth.

Lee Daniel’s cinematography gives the groups room, keeping the ensemble readable through all the hanging about. John Frick’s production design gives 1976 a comfortably used look, and Katherine Dover’s costumes help distinguish people whose plans for the evening are much the same. The clothes and surroundings never seem to need their own pause for appreciation. That leaves us free to watch the small adjustments people make when they want to fit in.

Jason London as Pink and Wiley Wiggins as Mitch give the film people to return to as it moves between groups. London’s ease and Wiggins’s more exposed awkwardness help distinguish two ways of getting through the same social evening. Rory Cochrane’s Slater has the slack concentration of someone whose next thought may take a while to arrive. Matthew McConaughey’s Wooderson is funny because he seems so satisfied with what little he needs from a conversation. Linklater gives the ensemble enough time for these differences to become the entertainment.

We winced at the hazing. Older pupils making newcomers suffer is an ugly way to celebrate their own freedom, and the casualness with which it becomes part of the day’s entertainment makes it worse. Linklater lets that cruelty remain unpleasant even in a film so ready to enjoy these people’s company. The younger pupils’ discomfort gives the social hierarchy consequences, and keeps the affection from turning into an excuse for everyone.

The drift does have a cost. Some exchanges continue after we have understood the person speaking, and the succession of loose encounters occasionally feels thin even at 102 minutes. The rock soundtrack helps, supplying energy when the talk settles into a familiar rhythm, though there are stretches where it is doing too much of the work. Adair and Linklater could have trimmed a little of the idle talk without spoiling the pleasure of having nowhere urgent to be.

Teen comedies often hurry towards a lesson, a declaration or a public humiliation. Linklater puts enough interest into small encounters that we seldom need any of those things, and he allows the prospect of adulthood to trouble the fun without stopping for a warning speech. Anyone who needs a strong plot should take the lack of one seriously. Watch it with someone who can enjoy an evening without asking what it achieved.

*Fi1m score 86, published 14 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like this, and for much the same reason: Linklater sets one day in Texas in 1976 and declines to hang a plot on it. The reviews praise the loose handling of a large ensemble, the close attention to period detail and the classic-rock soundtrack, and a tone several describe as anti-nostalgic yet warm. The film’s refusal to turn its teenagers’ cruising, parties and hazing into a lesson is taken as the point rather than a fault. A few reviews note a sombre undertone about what comes after school.

The spread is narrow. Almost every review lands somewhere between good and exceptional, with the more recent pieces the warmest. The only dissent is Variety, writing from a festival screening in 1992, which finds the formlessness suited Slacker better and wants more narrative shape at this scale. Otherwise the reservations are mild: a sense in some of the 1993 notices that the film is pleasant rather than substantial.

## Straight answers

**Is Dazed and Confused worth watching?**

*Dazed and Confused* is worth watching for anyone who can enjoy a warm, funny evening with teenagers who have nowhere urgent to be, and we scored it 86. Richard Linklater lets the conversations wander, and the ensemble and the rock soundtrack carry the drifting most of the way. Anyone who needs a strong plot should take its absence seriously.

**How long is Dazed and Confused, and what is it rated?**

*Dazed and Confused* runs 1h 42m. It is a comedy and drama film.

**Where can I watch Dazed and Confused in Indonesia?**

*Dazed and Confused* is not on any streaming or rental service in Indonesia at the moment. It is available in 27 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Dazed and Confused, and is it suitable for children?**

*Dazed and Confused* carries a UK 18 certificate and is not suitable for children. It is a comedy rather than a violent film, but the hazing of younger pupils by older ones is deliberately unpleasant, and the certificate implies adult language and behaviour throughout. It is a film for adults and older teenagers, not for a family evening.

**How does Dazed and Confused compare to American Graffiti?**

*Dazed and Confused* and [*American Graffiti*](https://film.one/film/american-graffiti) are both evenings of teenage cruising in which the talk matters more than the plot, and both let a few conversations run on too long. Linklater's film is the funnier and warmer of the two, with a larger ensemble and a sharper eye for casual cruelty; Lucas's is the more openly moving, with cars and radio doing much of the storytelling. Anyone who likes one will almost certainly like the other.

**What should I watch after Dazed and Confused?**

After *Dazed and Confused*, try [*American Graffiti*](https://film.one/film/american-graffiti) (1973, Fi1m 84): Another evening of cruising, uncertain futures and conversations that matter more than expected. Then [*A Brighter Summer Day*](https://film.one/film/a-brighter-summer-day) (1991, Fi1m 90): Teenage loyalties and group cruelty, taken somewhere much darker and more demanding.

### Reviews we read (17)

- **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (4/4): The critic hails Linklater’s 1993 coming-of-age comedy as an unimpeachable American masterpiece that revels in the anarchic, consequence-free hedonism of its Texas teens without moralizing or conventional plotting. They single out the fluid, Altman-like orchestration of the large ensemble and the film’s obsessive, democratic attention to period details and character interactions. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/dazed-and-confused-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-richard-linklater/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's joyously evocative and brilliantly controlled portrayal of Texan high-schoolers in 1976, highlighting its masterly, effortless style and refusal of conventional dramatic beats. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/sep/15/dazed-and-confused-review-richard-linklater)
- **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (85/100, inferred): Calls it a sweet, smoky haze of a movie that captures painful rites of passage with episodic looseness and vivid details. Singles out the bittersweet tone and freedom of the characters' night of roaming. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/dazed-and-confused-1798229503)
- **Little White Lies**, Stephen Puddicombe (80/100, inferred): Linklater’s film is the ultimate endorsement of living in the moment, suspended in the present over one day in 1976. It subtly explores how time shapes the characters’ behaviour through their focus on immediate plans and parties rather than the future. [Read](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/dazed-and-confused-at-25-richard-linklater)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Peter Rainer (80/100, inferred): Praises Linklater for capturing the dazed and confused reality of high school without turning it into a meaningful coming-of-age story. Singles out the authentic characters and the mid-70s setting with its soundtrack and tribal rituals. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-09-24-ca-38422-story.html)
- **The Independent**, Sheila Johnston (80/100, inferred): Linklater's affectionate comedy makes adolescence fun again, savouring the silliness of youth in an ensemble drama set on the last day of school in 1976 without preaching. It drifts euphorically through aimless cruising, parties and stimulants with a sceptical yet celebratory eye and a sombre undertone about the future. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-new-releases-the-best-daze-of-their-lives-sheila-johnston-on-teen-pics-thrill-pics-and-peepingtom-pics-plus-the-alain-resnais-alan-ayckbourn-double-act-1449114.html)
- **The Telegraph** (80/100, inferred): The piece celebrates the film as an anti-nostalgic yet warmly seductive portrait of 1970s high-school life, focusing on first kisses, beers and fights. It notes how the movie found a cult audience despite initial commercial struggles and highlights its ensemble cast including early roles for Matthew McConaughey and Ben Affleck. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/dazed-and-confused-matthew-mcconaughey-ben-affleck/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3/4): The critic finds it a good film that realistically depicts the aimless, often disappointing high school experience without imposing a plot. Praises the unblinking anthropological approach to teenage rituals and characters. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dazed-and-confused-1993)
- **Empire**, Steve Beard (70/100, inferred): Linklater's second feature is a funkier, more focused and much funnier mosaic of 1970s teen life than Slacker, scrupulously avoiding sentimentality while archiving a whole culture of aimlessness and irony. It is largely successful as a smart, retro anti-nostalgia piece that marks 1976 as the start of slacker culture. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/dazed-confused-review/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): The film conjures affection for the silly, dope-fogged 1976 era through its meandering ensemble of teens, favoring open-air charity and light comedy over melodrama. Linklater hosts rather than directs, letting the characters' throwaway gestures and longing create a fresh, hip momentum. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1993/10/04/american-high)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (70/100, inferred): Linklater's film captures the look, feel and sound of a single day in 1976 Texas high school life with playful, unstructured energy. It finds tenderness in the small encounters among its ensemble of characters navigating the end of the school year. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/24/movies/reviews-film-nervously-contemplating-life-after-high-school.html)
- **The Times**, Ed Potton (★★★★☆): The critic describes Linklater's vision of American high school as hip, messy and wreathed in weed smoke, noting the killer soundtrack and ensemble of future stars in this freewheeling ensemble piece. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/dazed-and-confused-1993-mn6rkd8vx)
- **Time Out**, TCh (70/100, inferred): The film follows Texas high-schoolers on the last day of school in 1976 as seniors plan parties and freshmen endure hazing rituals. Linklater's freewheeling, ensemble-driven approach captures quirky counter-cultural intelligence and deadpan pop irony without nostalgia or contrivance. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/dazed-and-confused)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (30/100, inferred): Linklater's follow-up to Slacker depicts a scary yet giddily amusing teenage wasteland in 1976 Austin through listless last-day-of-school antics and debauchery. One-liners and gags abound but the formlessness works less well in this larger-budget package that needs more narrative shape. [Read](https://variety.com/1992/film/reviews/dazed-and-confused-2-1200431353/)
- **Consequence** (85/100, inferred): Dazed and Confused popularized a fresh, realistic take on the coming-of-age genre by emphasizing the immediacy of the moment over big statements or dramatic plots. It explores what it felt like to be alive experientially as a teen, influencing many later films and shows. [Read](https://consequence.net/2023/09/dazed-and-confused-why-its-good/)
- **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it an ensemble triumph that captures the loose, contradictory vibe of the last day of school in 1976 Texas with warmth and authenticity, despite (or because of) its lack of big dramatic incidents. She singles out the perfectly timed classic-rock soundtrack and the immersive period details for praise. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/dazed-and-confused-1993-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)
- **Paste**, Brent McKnight (80/100, inferred): Linklater's follow-up to Slacker translates its themes into a more mainstream, accessible form focused on the last day of high school in 1976. The film captures the aimless pursuit of parties and belonging while forming a coherent narrative reminiscent of an updated American Graffiti. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/richard-linklater/the-rick-trospective-dazed-and-confused)

## Details

- **Director:** Richard Linklater
- **Director:** Richard Linklater
- **Writer:** Richard Linklater
- **Cinematography:** Lee Daniel
- **Editor:** Sandra Adair
- **Production design:** John Frick
- **Costume design:** Katherine Dover
- **Producer:** Sean Daniel, James Jacks, Richard Linklater
- **Cast:** Jason London as Pink; Matthew McConaughey as Wooderson; Joey Lauren Adams as Simone; Rory Cochrane as Slater; Wiley Wiggins as Mitch; Adam Goldberg as Mike; Anthony Rapp as Tony; Sasha Jenson as Don
- **Runtime:** 1h 42m
- **First release (the US):** 4 June 1993
- **Genres:** Comedy, Drama
- **Also in:** [Films where the soundtrack is the real star](https://film.one/collections/soundtrack-is-the-star.md)
- **Budget:** $7 million
- **Box office:** $8 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzDPw5N8d_0

## Where to watch in Indonesia

Not streaming, renting or buying in Indonesia at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PL, PT, RO, SE, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *American Graffiti* (1973), Fi1m 84: Another evening of cruising, uncertain futures and conversations that matter more than expected. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/american-graffiti.md)
- *Gregory's Girl* (1981): School, attraction and social embarrassment, handled with a similarly patient affection.
- *A Brighter Summer Day* (1991), Fi1m 90: Teenage loyalties and group cruelty, taken somewhere much darker and more demanding. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-brighter-summer-day.md)
- *Linda Linda Linda* (2005): School friends make music, with the same affection for apparently uneventful hours.
- *Girlhood* (2014): A sharper look at belonging, friendship and the pressure of the group.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/dazed-and-confused