Smithereens

Name: Smithereens
Duration: 1 h 33 min

1hr 33m

1hr 33m
3.6/5 (7.3K)
74%
72

A talent-challenged girl tries to promote herself to stardom in New York's waning punk music world. More Details »

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Susan Seidelman

Writer:

Ron Nyswaner, Peter Askin

Runtime:

1hr 33m

Synopsis

A talent-challenged girl tries to promote herself to stardom in New York's waning punk music world.

Cast

Susan Berman
Brad Rijn
Richard Hell
Nada Despotovich
Roger Jett
Kitty Summerall
Joni Ruth White
D.J. O'Neill
Joel Rooks
Pamela Speed

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.6

RATINGS 231 FANS

3.6

Aug 10, 2015

Anti-romanticization of being poor, artistic, aimless, lost in New York.

1.1K Likes

Sally Jane Black

May 20, 2021

"You know, I had this dream last night: the whole world had been blown up five years ago, right to smithereens, and everyone was just floating around on parts of it, and they hadn't even realized what had happened yet... Tell me the truth, am I like really awful or…

620 Likes

mia lee vicino

Jul 18, 2020

Punk Frances Ha.

593 Likes

DPCampion
Jun 7, 2019

First time watch for me. I know... blasphemy. But thanks to Criterion, this restored version is the best way I could have watched this since the film's release. Just watched Girlfriends last week and this film seems like another precursor to NYC hipster mumblecore and…

492 Likes

Sean Baker

Mar 20, 2020

When I say this is "authentic" what I mean is it looks like everyone smells bad.

493 Likes

PossiblyZach

Feb 24, 2020

paul i would gladly sleep in a van or move to new hampshire to be with youuuu

390 Likes

eely
If you ever get down on having missed the 'scene' in 70s NYC, watch this movie. Wren is a hugely unlikeable protagonist, only pursuing relationships she thinks will allow her an 'in' into the countercultural hierarchy and validate her delusions of self-importance. Because…

360 Likes

caro

Mar 9, 2025

starts with vintage NYC subway fooitage = automatic 4 stars I don't make the rules

321 Likes

David Sims

Apr 24, 2024

Not a smartphone in sight. No social media. No Tik Tok. Just teens trying to be famous by manipulating those around them. Wish we could go back.

261 Likes

CinemaVoid 🏴‍☠️

See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

74%

Community 163

❤️ LOVE

42%

👍 LIKE

32%

😐 MEH

21%

👎 DISLIKE

Top Reviews

neaa liked

Smithereens

gooddd little watch the ending where she was left alone was honestly deserved 😭 loved the music too !!

2Y

. liked

Smithereens

I like the characters outfits even the background ones had some really cool style

2Y

user420366496 watched_neutrald

Smithereens

i hate the main character so much? she deserved the ending she got 7.5/10

6M
Johnny Blackchurch loved

Smithereens

Watch this instead of Desperately Seeking Susan.

1Y

Jazmin Trevino is "meh" on

Smithereens

This girl can’t make up her on mind like 💀

2Y

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

metacritic

Based on 7 Critics

tbd

USER SCORE (2)

No score yet based on 2 Reviews

The grimy, crime-ridden cesspool of New York in the 1970s and early 1980s is a well-worn cinematic setting, but in her debut 1982 feature Smithereens, indie director Susan Seidelman used guerilla filmmaking techniques and a faux-documentary style to unearth the vitality and the verve of urban life at the bottom.

Christopher Machell

CineVue

See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Smithereens family-friendly?

The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.

How long is Smithereens?

The movie is 1hr 33min long.

What's Smithereens about?