The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Nobody in this movie can name the David Bowie song they keep blasting in the tunnel, which might be the most realistic thing ever filmed about high school. That’s the sweet part. The tougher part is that the movie carries real weight, Charlie’s past and his mental health, and the last act squeezes its hardest material into a rushed few minutes when it deserved room to breathe. Everything before that is lovely. Logan Lerman plays shy without turning it into a gimmick, Ezra Miller’s Patrick is loud and funny and quietly hurting, and Emma Watson’s Sam is the friend everybody wishes had found them freshman year. Paul Rudd hands out books like a teacher who knows exactly which one you need next. It made $33.4 million worldwide on a reported $13 million, and audiences gave it an A CinemaScore. An 8.0 because it takes teenage pain seriously without turning it into a lecture. $676 says you go find the tunnel song afterward and play it with the windows down.

What works: Warm, specific performances from Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller and Emma Watson, and a soundtrack that feels like a mixtape from a friend.

What doesn’t: The final act rushes its most serious reveal into a few minutes, when it needed far more time and care.

Who it’s for: Anyone who felt invisible in high school, and anyone who made a mixtape for someone and never said why.