Boogie Movie Review | Common Sense Media

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Parents' Guide to Boogie Movie R 2021 89 minutes Boogie Poster Image
  • Common Sense Says
  • Parents Say 2 Reviews
  • Kids Say 3 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Monique Jones By Monique Jones , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Basketball drama light on character, heavy on swearing.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Boogie is a sports drama written and directed by Eddie Huang about a talented high school basketball player (Taylor Takahashi) who dreams of playing for the NBA while dealing with family dysfunction. Language is strong and frequent, with use of everything…

 Why Age 15+? Language

Swear words and phrases like "goddamn," "ass," "a--holes," "s--t," "hos," "bulls

 Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kissing, sexual humor, sexual references/conversation. A scene alluding to sex b

 Violence & Scariness

Threat of physical abuse. Verbal abuse. Fighting during a basketball game. Argum

 Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Smoking (possibly tobacco, possibly pot) and drinking.

 Products & Purchases Not present Any Positive Content? Positive Messages

Reaching your dreams takes perseverance and determination.

 Positive Role Models

Despite Boogie's lack of self-control, he does show determination and perseveran

  • Parents Need to Know

    Parents need to know that Boogie is a sports drama written and directed by Eddie Huang about a talented high school basketball player (Taylor Takahashi) who dreams of playing for the NBA while dealing with family dysfunction. Language is strong and frequent, with use of everything from "s--t" and "f--k" to "hos" and the slur "nigga." Characters kiss and are implied to have had sex; there's sexual humor and conversation. There's also a threat of physical abuse as well as verbal abuse. Characters smoke (possibly tobacco, possibly pot) and drink. Despite the main character's lack of self-control, he does show determination and perseverance to reach his dream.

    To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

  • Language

    a lot

    Swear words and phrases like "goddamn," "ass," "a--holes," "s--t," "hos," "bulls--t," "f--k," "f--king," "suck my d--k," "son of a bitch." Slur word "nigga" is used.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Sex, Romance & Nudity

    some

    Kissing, sexual humor, sexual references/conversation. A scene alluding to sex between two characters. A shot of Eleanor's crotch.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Violence & Scariness

    a little

    Threat of physical abuse. Verbal abuse. Fighting during a basketball game. Arguments.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

    a little

    Smoking (possibly tobacco, possibly pot) and drinking.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Positive Messages

    some

    Reaching your dreams takes perseverance and determination.

  • Positive Role Models

    a little

    Despite Boogie's lack of self-control, he does show determination and perseverance to reach his dream of playing for the NBA. Diverse representations among main characters.

Where to Watch

  • Boogie Trailer Boogie
  • Boogie Movie: Scene #1
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Boogie

Parent and Kid Reviews

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  • Parents Say (2)
  • Kids Say (3)
age 10+

Based on 2 parent reviews

See all 2 parent reviews age 12+

Based on 3 kid reviews

See all 3 kid reviews

What's the Story?

In BOOGIE, Alfred "Boogie" Chin (Taylor Takahashi) is a high school senior hoping to make it to the NBA. His dreams are fueled by his idealistic but brutish father (Perry Yung) and tempered by his more practical-minded mother (Pamelyn Chee). Family drama and Boogie's relationship with girlfriend Eleanor (Taylour Paige) come to a head when Boogie is faced with either leaving America to play ball for China or taking a full basketball scholarship to an American university.

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Is It Any Good?

Our review: Parents say (2 ): Kids say (3 ):

If you like basketball dramas, you might enjoy seeing some of the games Boogie plays in, but the film is light on character introspection. If you've read anything about writer-director Eddie Huang, you'll know how his traumatic past with his family has informed him as an adult. When looking through that lens, Boogie appears to be influenced by some of Huang's personal experiences. But Boogie's parents are as mysterious as they are relatable. Viewers don't learn why this couple, who clearly hate each other, have stayed together. Nor do we learn why Boogie's father is adamant about him becoming an NBA superstar. We do know that in their own ways, each parent wants what's best for their child. However, because they disagree on even the fundamentals of what's best for Boogie, they end up emotionally destroying each other in the process. Much of the film's best parts come from Yung and Chee's performances. Perhaps the film should have focused on these seasoned actors, who bring complexity to an otherwise tepid film.

A closer look at what fuels the Chin family's dysfunction -- and how they might overcome it -- would make Boogie a unique entry in the world of sports films. But the movie sidelines that story for the sake of a half-baked romance between Boogie and Eleanor. It's a romance that's all surface level: While the pairing does contribute to broadening the idea of what interracial relationships can look like, Boogie and Eleanor seem to be together just because the script called for it. Boogie himself is also highly unlikable, both as a boyfriend and as a diamond-in-the-rough basketball player, so it's kind of hard to root for him. That's especially true when he demonstrates sexist habits and ideology, such as staring at Eleanor's crotch while she's exercising, or being angry that she didn't tell him that she once dated his rival, Monk (Pop Smoke). Boogie's penchant for self-destruction comes through in his relationships with his parents, basketball coach, and Eleanor, which could be an interesting character element to examine. Instead, the story coddles Boogie and doesn't allow him to grow, making him one-note.

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Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about perseverance. What is perseverance? How is it demonstrated in Boogie?

  • How do you set goals? What are some goals you've reached? How do your family and friends support your goals?

  • How do you handle disagreements with family and friends?

  • Did you notice positive representation in the film? Why is it important to see diverse characters in the media?

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Movie Details

  • In theaters : March 5, 2021
  • On DVD or streaming : March 26, 2021
  • Cast : Taylor Takahashi , Perry Yung , Pamelyn Chee , Taylour Paige , Pop Smoke
  • Director : Eddie Huang
  • Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Director(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
  • Studio : Focus Features
  • Genre : Drama
  • Topics : School ( High School )
  • Run time : 89 minutes
  • MPAA rating : R
  • MPAA explanation : language throughout including sexual references, and some drug use
  • Last updated : September 29, 2025
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Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Boogie

Suggest an Update

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