TL;DR: The Kings of Summer is the 21st-century answer to Stand By Me. It’s a beautifully shot, hilarious, and profanity-laced exploration of what happens when three teenage boys decide they’re done with their parents and move into the woods to build a house. It’s a "must-watch" for parents of middle and high schoolers, but the R-rating is real—mostly due to a relentless (and very realistic) barrage of F-bombs.
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Released in 2013, The Kings of Summer follows Joe, Patrick, and the eccentric Biaggio. Joe is tired of his overbearing, widowed father; Patrick is suffocated by his aggressively "lame" and intrusive parents. Together, they decide to claim their autonomy by building a makeshift cabin in the woods, living off the land (or, more accurately, stealing roasted chickens from the local grocery store), and declaring themselves masters of their own destiny.
It’s an indie darling that captures that weird, feral transition between childhood and adulthood. It’s not a "kids' movie," but it is deeply about being a kid. It’s funny, visually stunning, and features a pre-fame Nick Robinson and a scene-stealing Moises Arias.
We live in an era of "safetyism." We track our kids' locations on iPhones, we monitor their Roblox chats, and we know exactly what grade they got on their math quiz before they’ve even left the classroom.
The Kings of Summer is a visceral reaction to that. It taps into the concept of Risky Play—the kind of unsupervised, slightly dangerous activity that helps kids develop resilience and executive function. When Joe and Patrick are swinging machetes and building a roof, they aren't just playing; they are practicing being men.
Watching this movie as a parent is an exercise in checking your own anxiety. You’ll likely find yourself thinking, "Where are their parents? Why aren't they calling the police?" while simultaneously envying the absolute freedom the boys have created for themselves.
Learn more about the benefits of risky play and digital independence
If your teen loved the vibe of The Kings of Summer, or if you’re looking for movies that explore the same themes of autonomy and rebellion (with varying degrees of intensity), check these out:
Wes Anderson’s take on a similar "runaway" story. It’s more stylized and whimsical, following two 12-year-olds who flee their New England town. It’s PG-13 and a bit more accessible for younger teens than Kings of Summer.
A masterpiece by Taika Waititi. It’s about a defiant city kid and his grumpy foster uncle who get lost in the New Zealand bush. It hits that same "survivalist independence" note but with a lot more heart and a bit less cynicism.
The gold standard. If you haven't shown your kids this 80s classic, start here. It deals with heavier themes (death, abuse, trauma) but captures the bond of brotherhood better than almost any film in history.
If the "living in the woods" thing is too much, this movie explores independence through a summer job at a water park. It deals with the same "parents who just don't get it" energy but in a more suburban setting.
[Check out our full guide on coming-of-age movies for intentional parents](https://screenwiseapp.com/guides/best-coming-of-age-movies-for-teens)
The MPAA gave this an R rating, and for once, they weren't being totally ridiculous.
- Language: It is constant. We’re talking hundreds of F-bombs. If your family has a hard "no-swearing" rule, this movie is a non-starter. However, if you have a 14-year-old, you should know that this is exactly how they talk when you aren't around.
- Drinking/Drugs: There is some underage drinking and mild references to drug use, but it’s not glorified. It’s portrayed as part of the "trying on adulthood" experience.
- Violence: There’s a scene involving a snake bite and some roughhousing, but nothing graphic.
- Sexual Content: Mostly just teen boys talking about girls and a few awkward romantic moments. No explicit scenes.
Target Age: 14+. Mature 13-year-olds can handle it if you’re okay with the language. It’s a great "co-watch" movie because it invites conversation rather than just being "brain rot" content.
In the movie, the boys are escaping the "cringe" of their parents. Today, your kids might call your attempts to connect "Ohio" or "Skibidi" (yes, even if they're using the terms incorrectly). The core conflict of The Kings of Summer is the friction between a parent’s need to protect and a child’s need to separate.
Joe’s dad (played brilliantly by Nick Offerman) is sarcastic and emotionally distant. Patrick’s parents are "smother-y" and annoying. As parents, we often oscillate between these two poles. The movie is a mirror—it asks us to look at how our own behavior might be driving our kids to seek "the woods," whether that’s a literal forest or a digital one like Discord where we can't follow them.
If you watch this with your teen, don't turn it into a lecture. Instead, try these conversation starters:
- "Which set of parents was worse: Joe’s or Patrick’s?" (This is a safe way for them to tell you what bugs them about your parenting style without it being a direct attack).
- "Do you think they actually could have survived out there for the whole summer?"
- "Why do you think Joe felt like he had to leave? Was it just his dad, or something else?"
- "What’s your version of 'the woods'? Where do you go when you just want to be away from everyone?"
The Kings of Summer is a rare film that respects the intelligence and the frustration of teenagers. It doesn't sugarcoat how mean kids can be to each other, nor does it pretend that parents are always the heroes.
It’s a "No-BS" look at the desire for autonomy. While the language is salty, the message is profound: kids need space to fail, to build, and to be bored. If we don't give them that space, they’ll eventually go out and find it themselves—machetes and all.
- Watch the trailer with your teen to see if the humor lands.
- Check your streaming services. It’s often available on platforms like Hulu or Max.
- Set a "Movie Night" but let them pick the snacks. If they want to eat a rotisserie chicken with their hands in honor of the movie, let them.
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