Teenage Wasteland

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Teenage Wasteland

2025

1h 50m

Documentary

History

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Popcornmeter

100%

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28 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Inspired by an unconventional teacher, a group of teenagers in upstate New York in the early 1990s make a student film and uncover a vast conspiracy that is poisoning their community. Thirty years later, they revisit their film and confront the legacy of this transformative experience.

Critics Consensus

Teenage Wasteland is a captivating, crowd-pleasing documentary that expertly blends coming-of-age and true-crime elements, letting its subjects tell their story with wholly engrossing insight.

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Ben Kenigsberg

New York Times

Nov 26

This crowd-pleasing documentary, directed by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, caters to multiple niches of moviegoer who enjoy rooting for the underdog.

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Clint Worthington

RogerEbert.com

Nov 26

3/4

The kids didn’t change the world, but their youthful energy still made a difference and offered a model for the kind of change we can enact if we just stay young, rebellious, and curious.

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Nicolas Rapold

Financial Times

02/08/2025

Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s Middletown restores a little faith in human nature.

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Phoenix Clouden

Geek Vibes Nation

Dec 23

8/10

There is a lot to take from this powerful documentary on corruption, cover-ups, greed, and the invigorating fight of the youth, but it is a statement that good teachers matter. And we need a lot more of them in the world.

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Charles Johnston

Spectrum Culture

Dec 2

This look back at a group of teens who uncover an elaborate conspiracy while working on a school project in the ‘90s is heavy on nostalgia but light on catharsis.

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Edward Douglas

The Weekend Warrior (Substack)

Nov 25

Teenage Wasteland proves that you have to start small with a project close to home, which will then allow you to tackle bigger issues.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Nov 26

Real footage in 01 hour and 50 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All ages admitted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Jesse Moss

Director

Amanda McBaine

Director

Isaac Levi Anthony

Self

Varda Appleton

Self

Jesse Moss

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Amanda McBaine

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Synopsis

Inspired by an unconventional teacher, a group of teenagers in upstate New York in the early 1990s make a student film and uncover a vast conspiracy that is poisoning their community. Thirty years later, they revisit their film and confront the legacy of this transformative experience.

Director: Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine
Producer: Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine, Danny Breen
Screenwriter: Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine
Distributor: Film Forum
Production Co: Closer Media, Rise Films, Participant, Matador Content, Mile End Films
Genre: Documentary, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 26, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 50m