---
title: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower"
critics_score: 65
critics_reviews: 21
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."
---

# The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012): what the critics said

Critics' score 65 from 21 reviews: 13 positive, 5 mixed, 3 negative.

Most critics like it, and almost all of them like the cast. Ezra Miller is named again and again as the standout, with Logan Lerman close behind for a lead several reviews call charming and vulnerable, and Emma Watson credited with breaking type. Reviews are warm about the film’s sincerity: Stephen Chbosky, adapting his own novel, is felt to understand his teenagers and to put the audience on their side from the first scene.

The reservations cluster on familiarity. Even admirers concede the film is built from coming-of-age tropes, and the less persuaded find the voice-over and soundtrack studied, the heavy issues rushed and the direction more passionate than skilled. The spread is wide, from raves to a handful of outright dismissals. Slant calls it manipulative and condescending, The Skinny thinks the script mistakes a record collection for a personality, and The Guardian finds it cluttered and obvious.

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2012. 

Chbosky captures the exquisite feeling of belonging among friends while sensing its fleeting nature and the pain of loss. The film nails teenage alienation through strong performances and a nostalgic yet pained evocation of early-90s misfit life.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2012/09/movie-review-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower.html)

## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2012. 

The film is a smartly observed study of a troubled teen’s first year in high school thanks to strong performances from its young cast. Ezra Miller in particular brings jolts of electricity to teen conversations.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2012-sep-20-la-et-mn-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-movie-review-20120921-story.html)

## Evening Standard

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 2013. 

The film is a compendium of high-school coming-of-age tropes but executes them with rare intensity, sweetness and purity. It earns its sentimentality through strong performances, especially from Ezra Miller and Emma Watson, and a convincing central trio.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-review-8199092.html)

## Film Comment — Violet Lucca

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 August 2012. 

The adaptation is more restrained than the source novel in its handling of trauma and omits some darker elements. It benefits from strong performances by the young cast and a focus on showing rather than telling Charlie's story.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-stephen-chbosky-review/)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2012. Festival review. 

The review notes that while the film offers little new on adolescent angst, it potently captures the immediacy of teen life through strong performances and emotional observation. Ezra Miller’s turn as Patrick is highlighted as a standout for its charisma and complexity.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/5046225.article)

## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 September 2012. 

The adaptation is likable and unsurprising, serving mainly as a showcase for its young cast. Ezra Miller stands out with texture in his role as the witty gay quipster.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/21/movies/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-directed-by-stephen-chbosky.html)

## Total Film

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 2012. 

It is a decent stab at the earnestly heartfelt high-school drama, with an episodic story covering heavy teen issues and strong music references. Logan Lerman delivers a career-making turn with charm and vulnerability that will strike a chord with the intended audience.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-review/)

## The New Yorker

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2012. 

Stephen Chbosky wrote and directed this adaptation of his novel about a high-school freshman befriended by two seniors.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower)

## Time Out

Rating 3/5. 2 October 2012. 

The critic praises the gentle, personal debut from writer-director Stephen Chbosky for putting viewers on the side of its teenage characters from the start. Performances from Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller are singled out as particularly impressive for conveying the intensity of youthful emotions.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower)

## Variety — Rob Nelson

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2012. Festival review. 

The formula-hugging coming-of-age soaper benefits from memorable performances by its young trio, especially Emma Watson breaking type. First-time director Chbosky adapts his novel with more passion than skill.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2012/film/markets-festivals/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-1117948248/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Jordan Mintzer

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2012. Festival review. 

The film offers some amusing insights into adolescent angst but is held back by familiar indie tropes like voice-over and a studied soundtrack, preventing it from fully coming to life. It is a heartfelt but rather generic coming-of-age dramedy.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/perks-being-a-wallflower-toronto-368762/)

## Empire — Dan Jolin

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 5 June 2012. 

The film is often clumsy and awkward with scrappy direction but has something that chimes, helped by the period setting and strong casting. Logan Lerman is surprisingly likable, Ezra Miller handles his role with care, and Emma Watson is all grown up and convincing.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/perks-wallflower-review/)

## The Guardian

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2012. 

The critic describes the film as a cluttered rite-of-passage story adapted from the director's novel, with familiar high-school elements and sensitive themes handled in a rushed manner. It is called obvious and familiar overall, though adequately acted.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/oct/07/perks-of-being-a-wallflower-review)

## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2012. 

The adaptation is manipulative and condescending, relying on heavy-handed rhetoric and victimization rather than genuine artistry or joy. Chbosky fails to find the pulse of life in his characters or communicate the excitement of their experiences.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/)

## HeyUGuys — Joe Cunningham

Rating 4.5/5. 3 October 2012. 

The critic praises Chbosky for balancing the coming-of-age story authentically, highlighting strong performances especially from Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller. The film stands out for its genuine portrayal of teenage life and relationships, making it one of the best in the genre since Adventureland.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-review/)

## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff

Rating A-. 19 September 2012. 

The review lauds the film's authentic depiction of teenage experiences, crediting director Stephen Chbosky's understanding of the material for its nuance and emotional depth. Strong performances from the leads, particularly Logan Lerman, and a well-curated soundtrack contribute to its charm and potential as a genre classic.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-a-touching-fresh-funny-take-on-teenage-love-life-20120919/)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating 8.7/10. 8 September 2012. Festival review. 

The critic calls the film the cure for clichéd indie coming-of-age stories, praising its authentic characters dealing with real issues and strong performances, especially Logan Lerman as the vulnerable Charlie.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-movie-review/)

## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2012. 

Chbosky's adaptation succeeds as a sincere and convincing coming-of-age drama despite familiar tropes, with excellent performances from the lead trio elevating the material. It feels like a fresh John Hughes-style teen movie with a darker edge on mental health.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a408116/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-review-digital-spys-verdict/)

## NME — Owen Nicholls

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2012. 

The film captures the highs and lows of high school effectively and avoids being overly twee, with Logan Lerman's lead performance carrying it. Chbosky adapts his own novel without major Hollywood distortions.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/blogs/the-movies-blog/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-a-high-school-comedy-that-escapes-tweedom-just-761415)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2012. 

The critic finds the coming-of-age story compelling for its young characters but notes that adults may tire of the teen angst by the final third. The film is praised for sympathetically portraying smart, troubled kids beyond stereotypes, though a key plot reveal leans on cliché.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/perks-being-wallflower-review-been-there-done-unless-youre-15-57331/)

## The Skinny — Jamie Dunn

Rating ★★. 10 October 2012. 

The script mistakes a record collection for personality and relies on clichés, resulting in phoney melodrama despite fine work from the young cast. Lerman shines but the talented actors are ultimately wasted.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower.md