SummaryHaving been abandoned by his parents to an ailing uncle, Terri, is mercilessly teased by his peers and garners even more unwanted attention from school authorities by coming to school still wearing pajamas – when he decides to show up at all. Resigned to his outsider status, Terri is surprised when his tough-talking vice principal, Mr. Fitzgerald... Read More
Directed By:Azazel Jacobs
Written By:Patrick DeWitt, Azazel Jacobs
Terri
Metascore
Generally Favorable
72
User score
Generally Favorable
6.7
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Where to Watch
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
72
88% Positive
23 Reviews
23 Reviews
12% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jul 20, 2011
100
Movies about high school misfits are common; this is an uncommon one. Terri, so convincingly played by Jacob Wysocki, is smart, gentle and instinctively wise.
Aug 6, 2011
80
Terri is almost an anti-teen-coming-of-age teen-coming-of-age movie. And it's terrific.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.7
59% Positive
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
28% Mixed
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
14% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
Oct 6, 2015
10
Terri is a well rounded film with characters that are written with such humanity and focus that when it is over it leaves you wanting more of these of these characters i hole heatedly reccomend it.
Nov 17, 2011
10
If you are seeking a movie whose intent is to touch, incite laughter and offer humane treasures, this is an articulate one hour and forty minutes for you. 'Terri' breaks barriers that are stunning in scope for lower budget motion pictures. This film delivers a surprise package of characters who are identifiable to anyone who has tasted or witnessed the troubled path of growing upwards. Jacob Wysoki is perfect as Terri, a conflicted, overweight teen who is trapped in a world that he finds difficult to comprehend. The always brilliant John C. Reilly portrays his adult navigator. The pair offer an interaction which is low key, yet contains a dynamic that screams for understanding on both sides. It is this uncommon bond, as well as the younger freindships that Terri strives to inhabit, that creates the mural of a cry for mercy that is this film. Creed Bratton (The Office and original member of The Grassroots) plays Terri's Uncle James and delivers another potent ingredient within this coming of rage slice of hauntingly intelligent cinema. "Terri' is not an effort designed to feed on the teen town, growing up tough market place. It is about something that we can only capture when paying attention to the smaller details of living. These elusive puzzle pieces, put on display without shame, are the elements that make 'Terri' an important motion picture.
Aug 26, 2011
63
Leisurely paced and plot-challenged, it's too unique and kindhearted to be outright disliked, but it's not the kind of film you can get too close to, either.
Jul 1, 2011
63
The film's attempt at a sort of beautiful anguish works best in its middle section. It takes far too long to get going, and it doesn't have much of an ending.
Jun 26, 2011
50
It's a movie of thematic dead-ends. Director Azazel Jacobs and writer Patrick DeWitt give us a slow SLOW and somewhat morose tale that isn't remotely funny or profound enough to sustain that pace and tone.
Sep 8, 2011
10
I loved this film. It's sweet and real, not over the top like many 'coming of age' films tend to be. All the actors do a wonderful job, especially John C. Reilly. I think Terri is his best work to date.
Jul 14, 2011
10
I saw Terri this weekend with some friends and was very impressed. One of the things that actually stood out to me was that although the film could have seemed very slow it somehow didn't. Even though the pace of events was slow it somehow held you enthralled (and laughing) the whole time. I was surprised when it ended and it left me wanting to know more about the characters without feeling incomplete. I am no film buff, but I just enjoyed this film so much and found it to be so unique that I wanted to write a review. I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Sep 4, 2025
6
A sweet, quaint, little slice-of-life tale of misfits coming of age in post-9/11 academia. In many ways, "Terri" acts as a kind of quintessential indie flick. "A young, misunderstood protagonist who can't seem to agree with his surroundings strikes up a series of unlikely friendships while dealing with a sick relative." C'mon, man, that has "quirky, IFC dramedy" written all over it. Still, this does the indie genre right in that it mitigates the typical pitfalls you'd expect in the execution (issues with likability/relatability and pacing are what can usually do me in). No, this movie actually holds the attention decently enough, has a huge heart and is pretty unequivocal in its moral leanings, championing empathy and finger-wagging at things we can all agree are morally wrong. Solid stuff here from Azazel Jacobs, who I've heard has only gotten even better in recent (similar) efforts.
Oct 28, 2011
3
Overall, a pretty dull film. Reilly is fairly entertaining - as usual. I don't know how this can rate at an 8 or 10. I feel sort of unfulfilled - maybe I'll watch something else, or go to bed.
Aug 7, 2011
2
This was such a disappointment! Keep in mind that I only watch about 4 movies a year at the theater so expectations can run pretty high. Fans would call it a "quiet" movie. To me it was a movie where nothing happened. Where each scene was a wasted opportunity to show growth, connection, depth, something! Compare it to Blue Valentine, which was produced by the same people I believe, which was why I took a chance on it. BV was true. BV was real. You could call it quirky, or quiet. But it smacked of truth. The impact stayed with me for weeks. The only reason Terri stayed with me was to regret that I'd spent precious babysitting capital on it. The viewer is not just left to connect the dots, they're left to draw the outlines, color them in, and write their own story. The movie relies on its title character, a self-proclaimed 'monster' to do the heavy lifting. Have the actor who plays Terri drop 150 pounds and you've got nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Production Company:
- Verisimilitude
- Silverwood Films
- Periscope Entertainment
- KnowMore Productions
- Live Free or Die Films
- Venture Forth
Release Date:Jul 1, 2011
Duration:1 h 45 m
Rating:R
Tagline:We've all been there.
Website:
Awards
Locarno Film Festival
• 2 Nominations
Sundance Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
Film Independent Spirit Awards
• 1 Nomination
