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Thirteen

Thirteen

It's happening so fast.

2003100 minRMidcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Director
Catherine Hardwicke
Starring
Evan Rachel Wood, Nikki Reed, Holly Hunter, Brady Corbet

When 13-year-old Tracy befriends Evie, the most popular girl in school, her life is turned upside down as Evie introduces her to a world of sex, drugs, and money. But it isn’t long before Tracy’s new lifestyle begins to take a heavy toll on her and her family.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Thirteen?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Thirteen streaming on Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Thirteen?

Thirteen earns 8 badges, led by Standout acting and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Thirteen worth watching?

Thirteen's Midcredits score is the 77th percentile of all films, from 865K ratings across 6 sources. 66% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

77th percentile

Better received than 77% of films

79th percentile among Drama75th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)77th
Approval (how many liked it)74th

69 /100

77th percentile of all films

81st percentile among Drama77th percentile among 2000s

Critics 70 · Audience 69

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

66% liked it

74th percentile of all films

75th percentile among Drama72nd percentile among 2000s
66% rated it 7–1034% rated it 1–6

Critics 81% · Audience 77%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 10 wins / 46 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Actress in a Supporting Role
  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

98th percentile

865K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama97th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$2M
Opening weekend$116K
Domestic gross$4.6M
Worldwide gross$10M

Returned 5.1× its budget — 85th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a raw, gritty look at teenage self-destruction and that the acting is strong.

Fans praised

  • Raw, realistic portrayal of teenage life and rebellion
  • Strong central performances from Evan Rachel Wood, Nikki Reed, and Holly Hunter
  • Hardwicke's direction gives it gritty, authentic energy beyond an after-school special

Detractors panned

  • Plot feels like an after-school special with no twists or depth
  • Unlikeable characters and meandering story
  • Sensationalized or inauthentic despite real-life basis

What stands out

Acting82

Wood, Reed, and Hunter deliver standout, realistic performances

Emotional impactDivisive75

Disturbing and moving, resonates with those who relate

AtmosphereDivisive75

Gritty, uncomfortable tone immerses viewer in teen world

Dialogue70

Authentic teen speak adds credibility

OriginalityDivisive65

Based on real experiences, but seen as conventional by some

CharactersDivisive60

Tracy and Evie feel real but some critics find them lacking depth

Plot and storyDivisive55

Downward spiral storyline realistic to fans, predictable to detractors

Pacing50

Some find it dragging, others feel relentless

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 7 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Thirteen like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
TenseMelancholicDread
Heaviest: late
Register
Brutal · 7% of filmsSolemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
In medias res · 1% of films: Opens mid-action, then fills in how we got there.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThirteen plays its material straight with a raw, unflinching intensity, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe film escalates from uneasy curiosity into mounting dread, with the emotional climax in the final confrontation between Tracy and her mother.
StructureThe film opens with a shocking scene from later in the timeline, then jumps back to the beginning of Tracy's story, which then unfolds chronologically.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's raw depiction of adolescent self-destruction leaves a lingering sense of doom and emotional wreckage.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% (this title) · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Corruption arc: Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeTracy's descent from honor student into self-destructive behavior under Evie's influence follows the tragedy archetype, specifically a corruption arc.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfComingof age
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Coming of age · 5% of filmsFamily bondsTrauma · 7% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film traces a 13-year-old girl's turbulent passage into adolescence, where the search for identity collides with family neglect and unaddressed trauma.
StanceThe film mourns the loss of childhood innocence and the failure of family support, treating Tracy's coming-of-age as a tragedy of neglect and self-harm.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
ElectronicOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Mark Mothersbaugh
Settingmiddle school and family home in Los Angeles
MusicMothersbaugh's score blends electronic textures with brooding strings, underlining the film's raw emotional tone.

Content guide

Is Thirteen okay for kids?

R

Thirteen is rated R: “Rated R for drug use, self destructive violence, language and sexuality - all involving young teens” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (66/100), sexual content at intense (63/100), language at severe (87/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (92/100) and frightening material at intense (73/100). Overall it is heavier than 92% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • UK18
  • Germany12
  • France16
  • Ireland18
  • JapanR15+
  • Brazil16
  • Austria14
  • BGR
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark11
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoC
  • Poland16
  • Spain18
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 95% of all filmsHeavier than 92% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 45%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 78%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 87%
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 98%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 69%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: drug and alcohol content, language, frightening material, violence, and sexual content.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Thirteen have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Thirteen?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Evan Rachel Wood
as Tracy Freeland
Globe nominee: Golden Globe nomination — Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - DramaTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Nikki Reed
as Evie Zamora
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Holly Hunter
as Melanie Freeland
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Actress in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Brady Corbet
as Mason Freeland
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Jeremy Sisto
as Brady
Vanessa Hudgens
as Noel
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Sarah Clarke
as Birdie
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Cynthia Ettinger
as Cynthia
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ulysses Estrada
as Rafa
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
as Medina
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Thirteen?

Movies like Thirteen include Palo Alto (2013), Havoc (2005) and Rebel Without a Cause (1955). Of the 10 closest matches, most are teen dramas, and several are stories of toxic codependency.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 10 share its subject: coming of age. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Thirteen?

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: teen drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.