The Perks of being a Wallflower- Movie Review


I don’t know where I am going with this post. Basically if you are a student, or a teacher or just have free time, if you know someone who is isolated or bullied give this movie a try. And remember to be nice to everyone. If they’re toxic, just stick to greetings but be nice.


This is hands down a masterpiece. I’m not saying it’s the best there is but come on, this journey it will take you on is going to compel you to think about your school life. It’ll make you more human toward the “weirdo” in your school. Make you wonder what goes on in their head. Though the “quiet kid finding his place in high school with an eccentric group of friends” plot sounds a cliché, this book adaptation holds you on the edge of your seat through awkward events and things going bad when they just got right.

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Set in an American high-school; layered with mental issues , relationships and the cherry-on-top  complex social structure; this emotional rollercoaster will thrill you in different ways depending on what phase of life you are in. Contains full blown light hearted carpe diem moments and serious ones, like kissing your crush in front of your girlfriend, too.

It has a rich palate of characters too.

Featuring-

  • Emma Watson in a crazy costume

  • Paul Rudd dropping wisdom

  • Goth girls

  • Umbridge-like bitchy teachers you hate

  • The cool English teacher we love (PLAYED BY PAUL RUDD!!!!!!!!!)

  • Hippie long haired boyfriends

  • Over-possessive vegan Punk-Buddhist girlfriends

  • A crackhead

  • Popular jocks that are bullies

  • Popular jocks that are queer

  • The dad who tells you “MAN UP BOY, AIN’T NO SON OF MINE AFRAID OF NOTHING”

  • The dad who beats you up for being gay

  • A loving mother

  • A messed up aunt

  • Heroes by David Bowie

  • Paul Rudd dropping wisdom

  • Aaaand a couple that used a plastic bag as a makeshift condom



Cool right? Did I mention it also has Paul Rudd dropping wisdom?


Paul Rudd dropping wisdom and answering a question I had for ages

Paul Rudd dropping wisdom and answering a question I had for ages

When it comes to direction, acting and writing- you can trust me this one is spot on. What I want to focus on is the mark it left on me.


It kind of scared me, because if the atmosphere depicted in this movie is true, the youth is screwed. I could feel the anxiety our main PTSD suffering guy has on his first day of high school. He has lunch alone, because the few middle school friends he had forgot him for their newer, more popular friends. Everyone treats him like crap without knowing how difficult his past was. School is supposed to help you fit in after all.


It sensitizes you toward your peers. Makes you want to give every person in your life a new chance. It shows you the consequence of being mean to someone and puts you in their shoes. How often have we brushed someone’s bitchiness off as attention-seeking. We alienate these toxic people who hurt us. It feels right and you can say “Oh I am taking care of myself by keeping away toxic people” and I agree with you. They lose their friends and, once they hit rock bottom, we say “You did this to yourself.”


But maybe there is a reason behind their bitchy behavior. A reason that our self righteousness  isn’t willing to give a chance and understand. The thing about emotional trauma is that, unlike physical injury, most often mental injuries are unnoticed. But (slippery slope alert) their simple acts of attention seeking may soon escalate into self harm and suicide.


Ay yo Twinkle calm down you’re exaggerating. No I’m not. In fact I know people who attempted suicide and I know their friends, who unfriended them and  just went “Meh it’s just a phase s/he’ll be fine... BARTENDER ANOTHER SHOT”

What if a simple acknowledgement of existence (a.k.a. greetings) could have prevented it?

Oh it shows the amount of control popular kids have and the different kind of pressure they face (kinda like The Breakfast Club)


Take for example the way one popular but secretly queer jock doesn’t stop his other jock friends from bullying his secret  ex-boyfriend. He’s afraid to come out of the closet. Oh also he passes off the beating his father dishes out (discovered him making out) as the result of a theft.

Standing by, watching atrocities but not acting because it threatens your social standing. Sound familiar much? Well ashamed as I am, I have done that. It hurts my sleep.

Also this is a book adaptation just in case you’re one of those snowflakes who prefer to read books first.

It teaches you the value of friendship and I don’t know it’s late at night and this review sounded good in my head but okay.



If you have watched it let me know what you think.