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3rd January 2026
01:59pm GMT

Adventureland, the brilliant but underseen 2009 comedy-drama, has just been re-added to Netflix.
Set in the 1980s, the movie stars Oscar-nominated actors Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain) and Kristen Stewart (Spencer) as workers at a rundown amusement park.
The plot synopsis reads: "It's the summer of 1987, and recent college grad James Brennan (Eisenberg) can't wait to begin his long-anticipated dream trip to Europe.
"Unfortunately, James' plans come to a screeching halt when his parents announce that they are unable to subsidise his trip.
"Forced to take a job at the local amusement park, James prepares for the worst summer ever, until he finds love with a captivating co-worker named Em (Stewart)."
Also featuring within its cast Bill Hader (Barry), Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Margarita Levieva (Daredevil: Born Again), Martin Starr (Silicon Valley) and Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), Adventureland was director Greg Mottola's follow-up to his 2007 smash-hit comedy Superbad.
Though the movie earned a very positive 88% Rotten Tomatoes score and grossed $17.2 million at the box office on a reported $9.8 million budget, it was far from the financial hit that Superbad was two years earlier.
That said, the film has developed a cult status in the nearly two decades since then.
This is thanks to its nostalgic period setting, its bittersweet coming-of-age story, as well as its humour, which mostly comes from the awkward characters and the relatable situations they find themselves in, as opposed to gross-out gags, like most other teen comedies.
You can read a sample of some of the glowing reviews Adventureland earned from critics right here:
The Guardian: "A tremendously funny and touching coming-of-age story, which [Mottola] has set in the 1980s with a sprinkling of nicely chosen cultural references."
The Independent (UK): "It is a coming-of-age picture which seems not so different from any other but hits delightfully odd notes thanks to Mottola's terrifically smart script and a cast of mostly eager young actors."
MSN Movies: "Mottola's made a movie that will work like a voodoo charm on a small-but-dedicated audience: onetime slackers who'll not only dig the soundtrack but, probably, be sure to get it on vinyl."
Washington Post: "Thanks to an exceptionally deft touch, Mottola manages to capture the absurdity and anguish of young adulthood, while never sacrificing meaning on the altar of crude humour."
Adventureland is streaming on Netflix in Ireland and the UK right now.
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