Where to watch Dazed and Confused
4 Stars
It’s the last day of school at a high school in a small town in Texas in 1976. The upperclassmen are hazing the incoming freshmen, and everyone is trying to get stoned, drunk, or laid, even the football players who signed a pledge not to.
Richard Linklater arrived with the indie cult hit “Slackers,” but it was “Dazed and Confused” that brought him mass appeal. Adults who lived through the 1970s enjoyed on-screen nostalgia, while ’90s teens like me appreciated the lo-fi throwback to our parents’ generation. The film’s laid-back atmosphere is evident through the cast—a mix of breakout stars and amateurs—as well as its loose narrative structure.
Many compared Dazed and Confused to American Graffiti, but the film reminded me more of Fandango, mixed with a Cheech and Chong flick. Despite an obnoxious performance by the actor playing Mitch, the film creates a memorable and endearing cast. By the end, you want it to continue. Dazed and Confused ranks among the top “hang-out” movies; it only suffers from a weak plot and questionable casting, but when it works, it stands as an iconic piece of American cinema.
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Written by: Richard Linklater
Starring: Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Matthew McConaughey