The 20-year itch
Pop-punk is currently enjoying a massive second life. Between the massive success of nostalgia-heavy festivals and the general "Y2K" aesthetic takeover, Simple Plan is leaning into their status as survivors. The Kids in the Crowd isn't a PR puff piece designed to sell t-shirts; it's a look at how five guys stayed in a room together for 25 years without the standard "creative differences" implosion.
The band’s 7.6 IMDb score suggests that even non-diehards are finding something to like here. It avoids the polished, sterile feel of many modern pop docs. Instead, it leans into the sweat and the repetitive grind of the 2024 World Tour. If you have a teen who thinks being in a band is just about the three minutes on stage, this is a necessary reality check.
Deciphering the 17+ rating
The Common Sense 17+ rating might look scary for a band that wrote songs about "shaggy hair" and "being a dick," but context matters. In the world of music documentaries, this rating is almost always a result of language. Rock docs are unfiltered. You’re going to hear a lot of "f-bombs" during tour bus arguments and candid backstage moments.
There’s also the "party culture" element. While Simple Plan was never the poster child for rock-star excess, 25 years in the industry involves being around alcohol and the general chaos of the road. If your teen is already deep into the pop-punk subculture, none of this will be a shock. If they’re still in the "Disney Channel" phase of music consumption, the jump to this level of "authenticity" might be jarring.
If they liked the "Eras" tour
If your kid spent the last year obsessed with the scale of the Eras Tour or the polished vulnerability of Miss Americana, this is the grittier alternative. It’s less about the global iconography and more about the "brotherhood" of a touring unit.
It pairs well with other "how the sausage is made" music films. If they found the creative friction in The Beatles: Get Back interesting, they’ll appreciate the archival footage here. It’s a study in longevity. Most bands don't make it five years, let alone twenty-five with the original lineup. Watching them navigate the "lows" mentioned in the synopsis is actually the most "enriching" part of the film. It’s a lesson in conflict resolution disguised as a punk rock movie.
