What we flagged
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Our take
American Pie is an adult high-school sex comedy about four friends who make a pact before graduation. Sexual talk is constant, with nudity, an infamous webcam scene, and jokes built around embarrassment and bodies. Strong swearing and teen drinking are also frequent. The secret filming is played for laughs, though the breach of consent deserves a conversation. We put it at 17 and up.
Uplifting themes
Under the crude jokes, the friends slowly learn that honesty and respect beat scoring, and a few own up to treating people badly. The girls often set the terms for themselves. That turn gives families something real to talk about The teens are selfish and boastful for most of the runtime, though some grow up a little by prom. A parent and a couple of partners model patience and plain talk. The role models here are mixed at best
Story (may spoil tone)
At a high-school party, four friends find that losing their collective virginity isn't as easy as they had thought. But they still believe that they need to do so before college. To motivate themselves, they enter a pact to all "score" by their senior prom.
Details
Language The f-word and s-word are frequent in the friends' conversations, with…
The f-word and s-word are frequent in the friends' conversations, with hell and damn in between. Strong language is present from early on
Sex / nudity Sexual talk drives the comedy, alongside fumbling teen encounters, brie…
Sexual talk drives the comedy, alongside fumbling teen encounters, brief nudity, and a live webcam scene. The humour stays explicit even when little is shown
Drugs / alcohol Big house parties come with plenty of teen drinking, and one central em…
Big house parties come with plenty of teen drinking, and one central embarrassment only happens because a character is drunk. Beer is treated as normal senior-year fun. A little background smoking shows up as well
Bullying / discrimination An exchange student is secretly filmed and the footage is shared around…
An exchange student is secretly filmed and the footage is shared around school, with her humiliation played for laughs. Mockery and status games also run through the friend group. The film does not give the violation the weight it deserves
Dangerous behaviour Secretly filming and streaming someone without consent is treated as a…
Secretly filming and streaming someone without consent is treated as a prank. It causes real harm and is worth addressing directly with teens. Heavy underage drinking is also shown
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- The boys treat losing their virginity like a race. How would you want a real first relationship to feel?
- A girl is secretly filmed and the clip is shared without her knowing. Why does consent around recordings matter so much?
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American Pie
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