Big Time Adolescence

Big Time Adolescence

Year: 2019

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

Director: Jason Orley

Echo Score: 71
DramaComedy

Sixteen-year-old Mo, a seemingly promising student, finds himself increasingly influenced by his best friend Zeke, a charismatic college dropout. Zeke imparts unconventional life lessons, leading Mo down a path of drug dealing, partying, and navigating relationships. As Mo's behavior changes, his concerned father tries to reclaim his son’s upbringing and guide him back on track.

Tense
Bittersweet ending
Moderately emotional
Medium intensity
Steady pacing
Simple story

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Big Time Adolescence (2019)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Big Time Adolescence (2019). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 2020s

Set in the present-day, the story unfolds around a suburban high school environment with after-school hangouts, parties, and late-night drama. The timeline spans a few months in which Mo transitions from sophomore year to expulsion and community service. The setting highlights the contemporary availability of alcohol and drugs through peer networks and casual adult entry points. The mood shifts from casual adolescence to the consequences of dangerous choices.

Location

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:17

Main Characters – Big Time Adolescence (2019)

Meet the key characters of Big Time Adolescence (2019), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Monroe 'Mo' Harris

Mo Harris is a 16-year-old who longs to fit in with an older, cooler crowd. He is impressionable and torn between his family’s concerns and Zeke’s world of parties and easy money. He wrestles with guilt after his choices harm his relationships, especially with Sophie, and his actions culminate in expulsion and a shift in his life path. Portrayed by Griffin Gluck.

🧭 Influence 🔥 Risk-taking 🎯 Belonging

Isaac 'Zeke' Presanti

Zeke is a 23-year-old who acts as a de facto mentor to Mo, offering access to drugs and parties. He displays a reckless, self-destructive streak and places loyalty to friends above accountability. He ultimately offers to take the fall for Mo, but Mo chooses to face the consequences on his own. Portrayed by Pete Davidson.

🧭 Toxic influence 🚬 Substance use 🧩 Risky mentorship

Holly

Holly is Zeke’s girlfriend who becomes involved with Mo. She is part of the party scene and influences Mo’s romantic life; she breaks up with Zeke and has a sexual encounter with Mo. Her actions contribute to the evolving dynamics and Mo’s sense of belonging.

💔 Relationship dynamics 🗣️ Communication 🧪 Teenage experimentation

Sophie

Sophie is a classmate Mo connects with during a dinner date. She becomes a focal point in Mo’s attempt to form a genuine relationship beyond the party scene, and her reactions reveal Mo’s struggle with boundaries and honesty.

💬 First impressions ❤️ Attraction 🚦 Boundaries

Stacey

Stacey is a senior who invites Mo and others to a party, and later drives a car into a ditch while under the influence. He is interrogated by police and pressured to reveal who supplied the drugs, highlighting the consequences of party-driven decisions.

🚗 Reckless behavior 🕵️‍♀️ Pressure 🤝 Peer influence

Reuben Harris

Reuben is Mo’s father, protective and fed up with the environment around Mo. He pushes Zeke away, even confronting him physically when necessary, showing a parent’s tough love in response to harmful influences.

👨‍👧 Family protection 🚔 Confrontation 🗣️ Authority

Kate Harris

Kate is Mo’s older sister who dated Zeke in the past. Her relationship with Zeke provides context for the family’s history with the influence of older friends and their impact on Mo.

👧 Siblings 🕰️ Past relationships 🧭 Influence

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:17

Major Themes – Big Time Adolescence (2019)

Explore the central themes of Big Time Adolescence (2019), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧭 Influence

Mo is a 16-year-old who longs for belonging and validation from an older, cooler crowd. He is highly impressionable, drawn into parties and drug use by Zeke’s tutelage. The dynamic shows how a seasoned, impulsive adult figure can steer a younger teen toward risky behavior. The film uses this relationship to explore consequences that stem from warped mentorship.

🌱 Coming-of-age

The narrative tracks Mo’s attempts to define himself beyond the label of his peers and the attention from his older circle. It presents the allure of popularity against the cost of growing up too fast. Through his interactions with Sophie and Holly, Mo experiences attraction, miscommunication, and moments of self-awareness. The story uses these moments to map the messy path toward maturity.

⚖️ Consequences

Mo’s choices culminate in real-world repercussions: expulsion from school and mandatory community service. The film foregrounds the strain this places on his family, especially his father Reuben. A tension between loyalty to Zeke and accountability for one’s actions drives the central conflict. The ending underscores the uncertain road ahead and the weight of the decisions made.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family vs Friends

Family members push back against unhealthy friendships, with Reuben taking a stand to protect Mo. Kate’s presence as an older sister offers a counterpoint to Zeke’s influence and hints at past connections shaping Mo’s present. The film frames the struggle as a test of judgment between love, responsibility, and peer pressure. It suggests that choices are tempered by family guidance as Mo moves forward.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:17

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies with Toxic Mentors like Big Time Adolescence

Stories of dangerous appeal and the cost of following a charismatic bad influence.If you liked the complex and tense relationship between Mo and Zeke in Big Time Adolescence, you'll find similar stories here. This thread collects movies about charismatic but harmful mentors who lead their protégés down a dangerous path, exploring themes of influence, rebellion, and the high cost of bad advice.

tenseobservationalregretfulconflictedanxiousrawcautionary

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically follow a clear downward trajectory, where the initial excitement and liberation offered by the mentor gradually give way to serious consequences. The central conflict arises from the clash between the mentor's appealing worldview and the reality of their recklessness, forcing the protagonist to confront the damage done.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared focus on a specific, potent character dynamic. They capture the tense, observational mood of watching a bad decision unfold in slow motion, and the bittersweet regret that comes with gaining wisdom through painful experience.

Teen Drama Downward Spirals like Big Time Adolescence

Observational dramas about teenagers making choices that quietly derail their lives.Seeking more movies like Big Time Adolescence that capture the anxious vibe of a teen's life slowly unraveling? This collection focuses on realistic teen dramas where a series of bad decisions, often influenced by peers, leads to a tense and bittersweet coming-of-age experience.

anxiousrawobservationaltenseregretfulcoming-of-agerealisticcautionary

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern is one of escalation, not explosion. Each event logically builds on the last, creating a sense of inevitable consequence. The journey is internal as much as external, focusing on the protagonist's growing conflict between the thrill of rebellion and the guilt of their actions, often culminating in a sobering reality check.

Why These Movies?

These films share a specific mood blend: raw, observational, and anxious. They are united by a steady pacing that builds tension realistically, a medium emotional weight that feels grounded, and a focus on the quiet, damaging impact of poor choices rather than grandiose melodrama.

Unlock the Full Story of Big Time Adolescence

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Big Time Adolescence Summary

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Big Time Adolescence Summary

Big Time Adolescence Timeline

Track the full timeline of Big Time Adolescence with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Big Time Adolescence Timeline

Big Time Adolescence Spoiler-Free Summary

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Big Time Adolescence Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Big Time Adolescence

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