The Wackness

"Sometimes it's right to do the wrong things."

2008 1h 39m EN

😐

6.4

MID

🍅

70%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.9

IMDB

★6.4TMDB · 326🍅70%Rotten Tomatoes●61Metacritic★6.9IMDB · 31,415

DramaComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Set in New York City in the sweltering summer, The Wackness tells the story of a troubled teenage drug dealer, who trades pot for therapy sessions with a drug-addled psychiatrist. Things get more complicated when he falls for one of his classmates, who just happens to be the doctor's daughter. This is a coming-of-age story about sex, drugs, music and what it takes to be a man.

“Sometimes it's right to do the wrong things.”

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Cast

Josh Peck
Luke Shapiro
Ben Kingsley
Dr. Squires
Famke Janssen
Kristin Squires
Olivia Thirlby
Stephanie
Mary-Kate Olsen
Union
Jane Adams
Eleanor
Method Man
Percy
Aaron Yoo
Justin

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jonathan Levine
Writers: Jonathan Levine
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 53% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jonathan Levine, shot by Petra Korner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Torn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Josh Noyes shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Josh Peck and Ben Kingsley and Famke Janssen carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Sometimes it's right to do the wrong things.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jonathan Levine directs. Petra Korner behind the camera. David Torn scores. Josh Noyes cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 53% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 18 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Jonathan Levine, shot by Petra Korner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by David Torn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Josh Noyes shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Josh Peck and Ben Kingsley and Famke Janssen carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Sometimes it's right to do the wrong things.".
9IMDB entry: tt1082886 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.