Superbad (2007) Review: The Raunchy Teen Comedy That Is Really About Saying Goodbye
It is the last stretch of senior year, and two best friends have one night to fix everything. They want to be invited to a party, impress the girls they have liked for years, and turn up with enough alcohol to make it all happen. They have no fake ID, no plan and no car. What they do have is a friendship that is about to be tested by university choices and growing up.
Superbad arrived in 2007 and has been quoted, rewatched and argued over ever since. On the surface it is a loud, filthy comedy about teenage boys who talk about sex all the time. Underneath, it is a gentle story about two people who are scared of losing the one person who really knows them.
In this review we look at the plot, the direction, the performances and the humour. We also compare it with other teen comedies, add clear content notes, and give our verdict. If you have never seen it, or you are wondering whether it still works, read on.
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Quick Facts
Director: Greg Mottola
Writers: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
Producers: Judd Apatow and Shauna Robertson
Stars: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Emma Stone, Martha MacIsaac
US release date: 17 August 2007
UK release date: Check current listings for the original UK cinema date
Runtime: 113 minutes (theatrical cut)
Certificate: 15 (BBFC); R (MPA)
Genre: Teen comedy, coming-of-age
Plot Summary
Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) are high school seniors who have been inseparable since childhood. Graduation is close, and they are heading to different places next year. Neither of them is popular, and both know that this might be their last chance to change that.
When Jules (Emma Stone), a girl Seth likes, invites him to a party and asks him to bring alcohol, he sees his opening. Evan also has his eye on Becca (Martha MacIsaac), who will be there too. The plan depends on their awkward friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) getting a fake ID. His ID shows one name, and one name only: McLovin.
From there the night goes wrong in every way it can. A simple shop run turns into a chain of bad decisions, and Fogell ends up in the company of two very unusual police officers, played by Bill Hader and Seth Rogen. Meanwhile Seth and Evan wander through a series of parties and near disasters of their own, each one pushing them closer to an argument they have been avoiding for months.
The story is simple on purpose. Everything the boys do is a way of not saying what they really feel, which is that they are frightened of being apart. We will stay clear of the ending here, but the final scenes are the reason many people remember the film so fondly.
Direction and Style
Greg Mottola directs with a light, relaxed touch. He keeps the camera close to the actors and lets scenes run long enough for the awkward silences to land. There are no flashy tricks. The jokes work because the timing is right and the characters sound like real teenagers talking over each other.
The film is built like a night out. It moves from the school, to the shop, to the parties, to the streets, and the pace keeps rising as the evening gets stranger. Mottola understands that a comedy this loud needs quiet moments to balance it. When the story slows down, it does so to let the two leads have a real conversation, and those scenes carry the emotion.
The script by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg is the foundation. They wrote it as teenagers, drawing on their own school years in Vancouver, and that early start shows in how the dialogue sounds. The insults, the boasting and the clumsy attempts at honesty feel recognisable rather than polished. The soundtrack and Lyle Workman's score give the film a warm, funky energy that suits a story full of nerves and bravado.
Performances
Jonah Hill plays Seth, the loud one. He is quick, crude and constantly performing, and Hill gives him a flicker of hurt behind every boast. Seth is not always easy to like, but you understand him. His anger is really fear of being left behind, and Hill lets that show in the smaller moments.
Michael Cera is the perfect opposite as Evan. His style is quiet, hesitant and very dry. He gets laughs from a pause or a half-finished sentence, and he makes Evan the sensible one without making him dull. The pairing of Hill and Cera is the main reason the film works. They feel like two people who have shared a lifetime of jokes, arguments and silence.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse, in his first major film role, turns Fogell into an unforgettable character. The McLovin storyline could have been a one-note gag, but he plays it with such innocent confidence that it keeps growing. Bill Hader and Seth Rogen are great as the officers, who begin as a joke about irresponsible adults and slowly become something more complicated and sad.
Emma Stone and Martha MacIsaac have smaller parts, but both make Jules and Becca feel like real people rather than prizes to be won. Stone in particular had a sharp, natural screen presence here, in an early role before her bigger career.
Humour, Themes and Cultural Impact
The humour is crude, and the film makes no apology for it. Much of the dialogue is about sex, and the language is constant. Yet the jokes are rarely cruel. They come from embarrassment, ego and the gap between how the boys talk and what they can actually do. That gap is where most of the laughs live.
The biggest theme is friendship. Seth and Evan love each other, but they are teenage boys who have no easy way of saying so. They insult each other instead. The film understands this and gives them a few moments where the insults drop away. Those moments are short, awkward and moving, and they explain why a comedy this rude has lasted.
Other themes sit just below the surface: fear of change, the pressure to lose your virginity as if it were a school exam, and the way we pretend to be more confident than we are. The film does not lecture about any of this. It simply lets its characters make mistakes and learn a little.
Its cultural footprint is large. McLovin became a catchphrase, and lines from the film are still quoted online. It also helped launch several careers and became a reference point for the whole genre of R-rated friendship comedies. Critics were warm too: the film holds an 88% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes and 76 on Metacritic, and it was a solid box office hit, taking around $170 million worldwide on a budget reported at roughly $17.5 million to $20 million.
Some of the jokes have aged less well than others, and a few attitudes toward the female characters feel dated in 2026. Still, the central friendship holds up better than most comedies of its era.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
The Hill and Cera partnership: Their chemistry makes the friendship feel lived in, and it carries the whole film.
Fast, quotable dialogue: The script sounds like real teenagers, and it gives the cast room to improvise and play off each other.
Real emotion under the crude jokes: The final act gives the humour a purpose and leaves a lasting impression.
A strong supporting cast: Mintz-Plasse, Hader and Rogen each get a memorable storyline that adds to the night.
Weaknesses
Some dated attitudes: A few jokes and the treatment of the female characters have not aged well.
Relentless language: The constant swearing and sex talk will be too much for some viewers.
A loose plot: The night-out structure relies on coincidence, and a couple of sequences go on a little too long.
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How It Compares
Superbad sits in a long line of teen comedies about one wild night. Compared with American Pie (1999), it is less about the mechanics of the jokes and more about the two central characters. American Pie is built around a group pact and a string of set pieces. Superbad keeps its focus on one friendship, which is why it lands harder emotionally.
Next to Dazed and Confused (1993), Richard Linklater's easy-going portrait of a school's last day, Superbad is far louder and more frantic. Both films care about the same thing, though: the strange, short window between being a child and being an adult. If you like the loose, hangout feel of Linklater, you will recognise it in Mottola's quieter scenes.
The closest modern cousin is Booksmart (2019), directed by Olivia Wilde. It borrows the best-friends-on-one-night shape and gives it a fresh, sharper perspective. Many viewers see the two films as a natural double bill. We cover more of these in our guide to the 10 best comedies like Superbad.
Within the Apatow circle, Knocked Up (2007) shares the same warm, improvised style but follows adults rather than teenagers. For something older, John Hughes's Sixteen Candles (1984) offers a gentler take on the same fears. If you want to see where Superbad sits among the decade's wildest crowd-pleasers, our list of the best R-rated comedies of the 2000s is a good place to start.
A Note From Joao
I am Joao, the founder of That Love Podcast, and I write, produce and direct our audio dramas. Superbad is a film I admire for its craft, and much of what it does well applies to audio storytelling too.
The first lesson is dialogue. In an audio drama, you have only voices, so every line has to sound like a real person speaking. Superbad does this brilliantly. The characters interrupt, repeat themselves and say the wrong thing at the wrong time. That messiness is what makes them feel alive, and it is something I try to protect when I am shaping a script.
The second is timing. A joke needs a beat of silence before it lands, and an emotional line needs room to breathe. Cera is a master of the pause, and listening to how he leaves a gap before a reply is a useful reminder that what you do not say can matter just as much.
The third is friendship. The strongest stories about friends do not announce their love. They show it through small acts and awkward moments. When Seth and Evan finally drop the jokes, the scene works because we have spent the whole film waiting for it. That patience is a lesson for any writer: build the feeling slowly, then let the voices carry it.
Who Should Watch
This is a good choice for adults and older teens who enjoy sharp, character-led comedies, and for anyone who likes stories about friendship and growing up. If you enjoyed Booksmart, American Pie or the films of Judd Apatow, it is an easy recommendation. It also works well as a nostalgic rewatch with friends.
Content notes: The film is rated 15 by the BBFC for frequent strong sex references and language, and R by the MPA in the United States. Expect constant swearing, very frequent sexual talk and crude humour, underage drinking, some drug use and a couple of scenes of violence. It is not aimed at younger teens, and it is worth checking the details yourself before choosing it for family viewing. Common Sense Media suggests it for ages 16 and over.
Final Verdict
Superbad is a crude, quotable and surprisingly affectionate comedy. It is not perfect: the plot is loose, and some of the jokes belong to their era. But the friendship at its centre is written and performed with such care that the film still feels fresh. Hill and Cera give one of comedy's great double acts, and the ending hits home because the film has earned it.
Rating: 4/5
If you want to own it, you can find it on Amazon.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed Superbad?
Greg Mottola directed Superbad. The screenplay was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and the film was produced by Judd Apatow and Shauna Robertson.
Who is in the cast of Superbad?
The main cast includes Jonah Hill as Seth, Michael Cera as Evan and Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fogell, also known as McLovin. Bill Hader and Seth Rogen play the two police officers, and Emma Stone and Martha MacIsaac play Jules and Becca.
How long is Superbad?
The theatrical version runs for 113 minutes, which is 1 hour 53 minutes. Running times can differ on some home releases, so check the version you choose.
What is the age rating for Superbad?
The BBFC rates it 15 in the UK, and the MPA rates it R in the United States. The rating reflects frequent strong sex references, constant strong language, underage drinking and some drug use.
Is Superbad suitable for teenagers?
It is a film for older teens at most. Because of the strong language and sexual content, the 15 certificate applies, and parents may want to watch it first or read the content notes above before deciding.
Is there a Superbad sequel, and where can I watch it?
We have not found an announced sequel or remake, so check entertainment news for any updates. Streaming and rental options change often, so please check current UK listings to see where Superbad is available to watch, rent or buy.
Where to Read More About Superbad
Want to dig deeper? These trusted film sites cover cast, crew, critic scores and industry news.
IMDb: full cast, crew, trivia and user ratings.
Rotten Tomatoes: critic and audience scores with review roundups.
Metacritic: weighted critic scores and review excerpts.
Wikipedia: production history, release details and cultural impact.
TV Guide: streaming and TV listings.
Entertainment Weekly: film news, interviews and reviews.
Deadline Hollywood: industry and box office news.
The Hollywood Reporter: entertainment news and analysis.
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