The "shelved movie" energy
There is a specific kind of awkwardness that happens when a movie sits in a vault for four years before seeing the light of day. Get a Job was filmed when the "millennial entitlement" discourse was at its peak, but by the time it actually hit screens, it felt like a dusty relic. It tries to capture the panic of the post-2008 economy, but it does so with a script that feels like it was written by people who haven't looked for an entry-level position in thirty years.
The result is a movie that is cynical without being smart. It treats the job hunt as a series of gross-out obstacles rather than a relatable struggle. When you see a 9% on Rotten Tomatoes, you aren't just looking at a "bad" movie; you’re looking at a project that the studio essentially gave up on.
A waste of a good lead
If you are here because you or your teen recently became a fan of the lead actor through his bigger, more recent hits, you should know that this is the "one for them" project that didn't pay off. He’s trying to bring his usual charming-but-smarmy energy to the role, but the material is so thin that he mostly just comes across as unlikeable.
If you want to see him in something that actually resonates or is worth your Friday night, check out our guide on Miles Teller Movies Ranked for Families: From Top Gun to Whiplash. You will find much better ways to spend 90 minutes than watching him navigate a plot involving stolen urine and corporate hazing.
The specific friction for parents
The R rating here isn't the "sophisticated adult drama" kind; it’s the "trying too hard to be edgy" kind. There is a prolonged sequence in a strip club with topless nudity that feels completely disconnected from the actual plot. It’s there for shock value, much like the scenes involving casual drug use and cheating drug tests.
For a 16-year-old, the movie might feel pointless. It doesn’t offer a realistic look at the workforce, nor does it function as a high-tier comedy. It occupies a weird middle ground where it’s too crude for younger teens but too shallow for older viewers who have actually experienced the cubicle-farm grind.
Better alternatives for the career-curious
If your kid is genuinely interested in movies about the "real world" or the absurdity of work, there are classics that do this with actual wit.
- Office Space remains the gold standard for workplace frustration.
- Sorry to Bother You offers a much more creative, surrealist take on the modern economy.
- The Devil Wears Prada handles the "nightmare first job" trope with infinitely more style.
Ultimately, Get a Job is a movie that was released because of the names on the poster, not the quality of the film. It's a skip for almost every demographic.
