Back to trending
The Way Way Back

The Way Way Back

Comedy · Drama · 2013

Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.

Movie details

The Way Way Back

“We've all been there.”

2013 Comedy · Drama 1h 43m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Way Way Back?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Benny & Joon

Benny & Joon

Comedy · 1993

A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.

Big Wednesday

Big Wednesday

Drama · 1978

Three 1960s California surfers fool around, drift apart and reunite years later to ride epic waves.

Ezra

Ezra

Comedy · 2024

Stand-up comedian Max Bernal lives with his father Stan while struggling to co-parent his autistic son Ezra with his ex-wife. When forced to confront difficult decisions about their son's future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives.

Fatherhood

Fatherhood

Drama · 2021

A widowed new dad copes with doubts, fears, heartache and dirty diapers as he sets out to raise his daughter on his own. Inspired by a true story.

Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine

Comedy · 2006

A family loaded with quirky, colorful characters piles into an old van and road trips to California for little Olive to compete in a beauty pageant.

Hungry Hearts

Hungry Hearts

Drama · 2015

The relationship of a couple who meet by chance in New York City is put to the test when they encounter a life or death circumstance.

Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare

Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare

Animation · 2010

Scooby and the gang experience outdoor fun as they go back to Fred's old summer camp. As summer goes on, it becomes increasingly clear that the spooky camp stories told by the fireplace, are more real than they've though and soon, it's up to the gang to try and solve the mystery of camp scare.

Hooking Up

Hooking Up

Comedy · 2020

Bailey and Darla embark upon a misguided and mutually deceitful form of therapy, one in which they must drive across the country, re-enacting Darla's colorful history as a sex addict. As their true motivations for the road trip come to light, the unlikely pair force one another to confront their issues, discovering that there might actually be more to love than just sex.

Ana

Ana

Drama · 2020

Ana meets Rafa in a chance encounter and they embark on a road trip to try and save him from bankruptcy, or worse.

My Own Love Song

My Own Love Song

Comedy · 2010

A wheelchair-bound singer and her best friend embark on a roadtrip to Memphis.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Nat Faxon · Jim Rash

Written by

Nat Faxon · Jim Rash

Liam James

Liam James

Duncan

Steve Carell

Steve Carell

Trent Ramsey

Toni Collette

Toni Collette

Pam

AnnaSophia Robb

AnnaSophia Robb

Susanna Thompson

Sam Rockwell

Sam Rockwell

Owen

Allison Janney

Allison Janney

Betty Thompson

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph

Caitlyn

Court is in session

Put The Way Way Back on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.