American Vandal (2017–2018) User Reviews

Genuinely Refreshing

[parkersaussy · 9/10 · 18 September 2017]

This was a real breath of fresh air.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not very familiar with the "True Crime" shows that American Vandal is presenting itself as a parody of, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment of it at all. The show takes a satirical low-stakes premise and manages to make it genuinely suspenseful and funny, as well as very poignant towards the end of the season. The show blends this style with elements of found footage films, finding the best aspects of both and managing to never get stale.

For a show with a mostly junior cast that essentially lives and dies by the believability of its performances, American Vandal's actors were all surprisingly capable and felt like real people. Jimmy Tatro was great; if you've followed his YouTube channels, you won't see much you haven't already seen him do, but he's very talented and he was definitely perfect for the role. The other leads were great as well, and I can't think of too many weak links in even the supporting cast. It's rare to see TV shows paint an accurate picture of modern high school kids across different stereotypes (and make any attempt to deconstruct those stereotypes), but this felt about as close as I've seen one get.

Plus, the writing is engaging and keeps you guessing throughout, such that you won't be certain where the plot is going until the very end. Certain details will appear in the first few episodes that don't get elaborated upon until several episodes later, and it makes the show very rewarding upon re-watches for viewers paying attention. For a show that would have done just fine as a fun romp satirizing the true crime genre, American Vandal actually goes the extra mile to make itself more enjoyable.

If you were even moderately interested based on the trailer, absolutely give American Vandal a binge. Would love to see what this team can come up with next.

Entertaining AF

[padloom17-928-833287 · 9/10 · 15 September 2017]

It's funny and dark at the same time.

Twisted story about a boy ,who love to f*ck people around, end up getting f*ck**d by the whole school.

I don't know if I'd put that right. English's not my first language you see

Dylan is a prankster who upset a lot of people. So, It's so easy to blame him. Easy to think that he deserve it. But Peter feels like there's something more so he makes a documentary.

As the story continue things are getting more and more interesting. It's not a laugh out loud kind of show. It's a grinning and a cringe challenge for me.

Interesting way of painting a gray image of justice system.

each episode is full of surprise.

Edit *** wow I did sound like they paid me to review LOL But I really like it.

Fascinating mockumentary

[sackofwhine · 9/10 · 12 April 2020]

American Vandal Season 1 and 2 is some of the best writing, or some of the best content on Netflix period.

I was amazed how well the show handles these tonal shifts and takes such an unbelievably funny and out there concept and injects it this thrilling and truly engaging narrative. Besides the excellent writing, the show has characters that are memorable and feel human. Even though their dialogue is often a little over the top, they speak and act like real teenagers would. The slang is correct, the little nuances and dynamics are all spot on.

I truly believe American Vandal is along with Freaks and Geeks one of the best coming of age television shows that we have at the moment. I think its kind of genius what the director and creator Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault have pulled off here. Truly original and creative TV.

A great parody that can stand on its own two legs

[alyssam-43984 · 10/10 · 15 September 2017]

This series is exactly what it appears to be- a mockumentary of all the "True Crime" documentaries out there- while at the same time building its own story and characters that you grow to love and root for. There were moments when I forgot I was watching fiction and genuinely wanted to scream at idiotic authority figures and the overall injustice represented on screen. Those were only a few moments, though. For the most part I laughed at the exaggerated high school drama.

American Vandal was very well-written, well-acted, and well-constructed. It even begins to pick up a moral of its own, and you come away not only with an amazing new comedy, but with a deep truth about how preconceived notions and judgments of a person can have lasting impacts on a person's life, especially a young one.

wow, this is a breath of fresh air

[lpadr009 · 10/10 · 16 September 2017]

I watched the whole season this afternoon and I texted everyone I know telling them to watch it because i am so impressed. I love the originality, and the quirkiness. the acting and the characters are great, there are enough jokes to keep you smiling but without taking away too much of Dylan's sad story.

I found the shift in tone very unique and quite enjoyable. it made me realize how emotionally invested i was in the characters. It started off with this funny, goofy crime, and with a funny, goofy alleged criminal, making you think this is going to be the biggest satire of all crime docs, but eventually, it takes you on a roller coaster of feelings, ultimately bringing you to the harsh reality of our criminal justice system, and with society in general, really.

*i would like to say that i never write reviews because i realize I'm terrible at it, but i liked this show so much that i had to put in my 2 cents*

Still can't believe it was cancelled

[trimblecali · 10/10 · 4 June 2019]

This show is ridiculous in the best way. I was cracking up and hooked on finding out the mystery in each season. I'm so sad it was cancelled, I was looking forward to more seasons.

A spoof that's funny even if you haven't seen what its spoofing

[jackcwelch23 · 24 September 2017]

An uncommonly well written and clever high school comedy that is, most importantly, consistently hilarious. Strangely enough, the seriously silly mystery is actually compelling and you will want to see how it turns out. The majority of the humour might just be too stupid for some, but there's more than enough laugh out loud moments to keep you interested. The characters are likable and performed well by young, mostly unknown actors. Even the opening to the show is funny, a true detective making a murderer style that just feels inspired. A show that's made for binge watching.

Well Crafted

[VinceValentino · 10/10 · 16 September 2017]

The subject matter may be silly, but its wrapped in a well constructed documentary that holds your interest. The suspense and drama is alluring. If the trailer appeals to you, then it only gets better upon watching. The genre is "teen show/documentary", as described by Netflix, and it delivers to that demographic pretty well. I'm not into teen shows, but I can appreciate how it emulates popular crime docs of recent years. It not only recalls the crime, but takes you on a journey of investigation. A mastery of the genre.

Lots of Satire and actually pretty good acting

[mnsmb7 · 9/10 · 23 September 2017]

I watched this show out of a recommendation from a friend and ended up finishing the first season in a few days. While it's not the most riveting show in the world and wont change your life it will thoroughly entertain you if you can handle some crude humor and enjoy the sarcasm and satire.

I thought the acting was superb and really enjoyed how this show was filmed and how even the most mundane character had a storyline instead of focusing on the main characters. I originally thought this would just be something I threw on so i could have background noise but i really did enjoy this.

I would recommend this for anyone who wants something easy to watch, enjoys a "who done it" kind of show, and wants to laugh. I am really curious to see if there will be a second season because how they took a prank where 27 cars were vandalized with phallic symbols and got me to watch the whole season is amazing.

Here's why you've gotta watch this show

[fierce221 · 10/10 · 17 September 2018]

I rarely ever write reviews here. In the last decade of membership here I've written a mere three reviews including this one. This show at a first glance is nothing but a crude satirical mockumentary made for laughs. But there's a message that everyone under 30 really should hear. The end of season 2 was so encouraging and enlightening that I nearly cried. I won't say anything about anything for spoilers sake, but just let me tell you that I am genuinely shocked and amazed that a show like this left it's viewers with such an important message. Give this show a watch, particularly season 2. It's been a while since I've seen season one, and I imagine they did have a moral/message, but season 2 hit me like a brick. My mouth was gaping open catching flies for nearly the entire 40 minute final episode of season 2. I watched the entire season in a night and one day, and I have gotta say props to the makers. They say what I've never heard said before on media, and I am so thankful they addressed what they did. Give this show a watch, it just might help remind you that you're not alone in your sorrows. 10/10 and respect.

Well written and beautifully put together !!

[madhukar30 · 7/10 · 27 January 2021]

American Vandal is well crafted wry true crime satire, beautifully presented in a docu-drama style. Though the series is targeted to teen audiences in general, with its well written script and an inquisitive screenplay the series would even impress people who are well into their forties, mainly for reliving the nostalgia of High school. Full credit to the director Tony Yacenda for choosing docu-drama style of presentation rather than a regular motion picture style, as it has added a whole new dimension for the series in terms of believability.

Though the main premise of American Vandal is gross and vulgar on many counts, it is a comedy and hence shouldn't be taken seriously. Screenplay is the main strength of American Vandal and it is this wonderful writing that keeps the suspense till the last episode. Editing is crisp with a total runtime of around 260 minutes. Production design and costumes were in tone with the series but makeup was a little overdone in places. The choice of different cameras for different times & places was a very good.

Overall, Clever, deadpan, and instantly quotable, this mockumentary pries some knowing laughter from a genre that typically takes itself very seriously: true crime. American Vandal starts in on the ironic imitation right in the credits, with (school paper!) headlines about the graffiti crime dissolving into grimly lit photos of the crime scene and portentous yearbook photos. There are talking-head interviews and close ups of ominous looking official paperwork; there are cork boards with string connecting photos and clues. And there is always the fact that the crime in question is a row of spray painted graffiti. 7.2 stars out of 10 for rekindling the nostalgia of High School.

When is season 2 coming out?

[crunchwraptaco · 10/10 · 22 September 2017]

This show must be made into a movie right now. From the first episode this show gets you wondering, if they're serious but who cares, sit back and watch 30 min of comedy. I can only imagine how much fun it must have been to write this show because American Vandal will make you laugh right through the entire season/

Your 12 year old will love this

[mls4182 · 7/10 · 28 July 2021]

Potty and private body part humor. Its clever and funny but gets old very fast.

What is going on here?

[danwillett001 · 1/10 · 29 September 2018]

I literally can't tell if Netflix are taking the p**s here, but I really hope they are. This show is as absurdly self-important as it is mind-numbingly boring. It's satrical influences are clear (think Making A Murderer) but for a mockumentary to be remotely successful it needs to be funny and relatable (think of the British version of The Office), yet this show simply relies on childish humour involving dick jokes that aren't funny the first time and definitely aren't the umpteenth. I'm pretty sure some of the positive reviews on here are trolling, and here's hoping.

Excellent entertainment

[stefanhagenbinder-48178 · 9/10 · 19 September 2017]

Great show and perfect for Netflix. I binged the whole show in 2 days. It has a great cast, you get fresh faces and they are all at least good and they are put in a interesting story, which reveals constant new information and make you doubt your own judgement. And I like the view on young people in high schools (I am not from the US) and also the aspect of social media. It's the right amount of story telling, it doesn 't want you to tell too much and it is open for interpretation.

So seriously stupid, it's genius!

[srawrats · 9/10 · 16 September 2018]

Amazingly well directed, which obviously made everyone better, the acting is just so spot on. The writing is outstanding as well, both seasons, in fact the second season may be even better than the first. This parody might not be for everyone, but for what they were trying to accomplish, they did it, and did it perfectly.

It's all done so straight and serious which makes the dialogue just hilarious. Certain lines are crazy funny in the way they are delivered.

I thought the beginning of season 2 was crappy, but after finishing the entire first episode I was hooked again. I would say at least watch 2 episodes before you judge it. After a few minutes you might say this is just kinda silly, but once you realize what there doing it's just great.

Proves we'll be intrigued by ANY mystery

[costierascripts · 9/10 · 29 March 2019]

This show is just brilliant. The concept alone is hilarious but the execution is what really makes this show unique. The writing is amazing, all the characters and dialogue feel so real and truly reflect modern society and a modern high school setting. There are no real "high school movie" (or TV) cliches and the creators truly understand how teens talk, act and use social media. The show is presented just like a True Crime show and takes its story seriously while still managing to be completely ridiculous. It is one of the funniest shows I've seen in a while and a great satire on the modern obsession with true crime shows.

brilliant, hilarious mockumentary

[cherold · 10/10 · 13 October 2017]

This film is an example of the genre of comedy that involves being very serious about something very not-serious. In this case, this is a detailed, in-depth investigation of a school vandalism in which dicks were spray painted on teacher's cars.

The high school journalist who takes this case on is wonderfully obsessive, comparing the art style of an accused students own dick drawings and researching the reliability of the sole witness by investigating whether he *really* got a hand job from the hottest girl in school, an investigation that involves detailed site-line maps and ridiculously sterile animations.

The film is done in the typical style of a modern crime documentary, and it is dead on (to the extent that there is no way high school students could create anything remotely this sophisticated).

At the center of it all is the accused, Dylan a dopey prankster wonderfully played by Jimmy Tatro, who I can't say enough good things about. Dylan is totally ridiculous and totally believable, and the result is wonderfully funny.

While the movie is very silly, it still draws you into the mystery. I watched the entire thing in a day, not just because it was funny but also because I really wanted to learn what happened.

As the series gets more plot-driven and takes on some of the moral complexities of airing an entire school's dirty laundry in order to help one idiot, it loses some of the humor, but it's only the final episode that gives itself more to drama and comedy. I don't entirely mind that; once you create full-dimensional characters it seems cruel to give them a silly, two-dimensional ending.

Ignore the people who dismiss this as a bunch of dick jokes. Considering the subject matter, it's surprising how rarely the movie goes for the cheap joke. This is incredibly funny and involving and should not be missed.

Bart Simpson in High School

[vrajabhumi · 10/10 · 18 September 2017]

A mockumentary is usually filled with many gags and many ridiculous characters and situations. This one is different because the subject matter is very serious, a person's future is on the line at a very young age, there is really only one funny person, and he is the one in trouble--for being funny. This mockumentary gains its humor not from gags or jokes, or from ridiculous characters, but from the juxtaposition of a very serious true crime investigation, within an Southern California American High school where the social culture of the kids is portrayed in much more realistic way than is typically shown on TV or Movies. Which almost always show High School life in ways that are not like High School at all. That's because they almost always use unrealistic hackneyed tropes instead of trying to be realistic.

Here they try to be realistic, and succeed. Which means lots of hedonistic behavior involving openly used drugs and casual sexuality mixed in with typical High School caste consciousness and other realistic views of modern SoCal High High School life. But without going over the top in any of these areas which is what happens often in certain types of movies that try to portray High School life in a hedonistic way, where they usually always end up too unrealistic because of going way over the top and making them ultra-hedonistic beyond average. This show wisely avoids that pitfall. Throw into the mix a High School version of Bart Simpson as a stoner as your protagonist, and you have a recipe for great viewing. Of course without a Bart Simpson type as the creator it wouldn't work as brilliantly as it does. It is unlike anything ever seen on TV or Film, and I think a must see.

I can see many people really hating this because it is not being judgmental over the hedonism by High School age kids, which I imagine is the real reason behind the attacks on the show by some reviewers since it is so well made. This is not something for prudes or people who think kids need to be brought up without exposing them to certain ideas about sex, drugs, and so on. That reaction by many plays perfectly into the humor of the series which takes its cue from real types of High School age kids instead of the commonly artificial and false portrayal of American youth on TV and movies. The uncanny "life imitates art" aspect of the story that is sure to occur in response to this show makes it even funnier because in fact the criminal act that is the basis for the story, is in reality a symbol for the series itself and the reaction that is sure to follow. It will be judged accordingly in the way the criminal in the story is judged. And as predicted kids will love it while many older people will find it embarrassing and juvenile or even immoral and bad. Bart Simpson would be proud.

Tonic for the bored masses.

[Skekseeze · 9/10 · 28 August 2021]

Well written, brilliantly acted satire. If the subject matter were anything else you'd believe it to be true.

So funny

[ericliuanish · 9 September 2020]

This show is very underrated. Everything episode is highly entertaining with funny and relatable situations, added to a very suspenseful plot. I think this show has the most accurate depiction of high school on TV, the producer of this show definitely knows who their audience are. Loved Dylan from season 1, he was savage and a great character. Watch the trailer, if you are interested on what the show is about then you won't be disappointed on what the show has to offer.

A series you can, but don't have to watch.

[Lukasmj · 6/10 · 13 November 2022]

"American Vandal" is a mockumentary that tells two different stories in it's two seasons.

In both seasons the two students Peter and Sam make it their mission, to find the perpetrator, film their investigations and produce a documentary out of that.

In the process of producing this documentaries the students get to know many secrets among the students.

"American Vanadal" is a series that you can watch, but you definitely don't have to.

The idea is interesting, but doesn't arouse my interest for more seasons.

With the hours I've spent trying to figure out who drew penises on cars or put laxatives in school lunches, there's no doubt I could have done better things.

Worth It

[davidlohr · 8/10 · 27 September 2021]

This review is in regards to the first season. Five minutes in an I nearly shut it off. But it had an 8 rating here so I decided to give it a few more minutes. I'm glad I did. While it started off a little lame, it got better the more I watched. It proved to be quite funny and I love how it mocks true crime documentaries. I ended up finishing it in a day. I've just started season 2 and so far so good.

Slightly entertaining, but not sure what to make of it

[manuel_medeiros · 6/10 · 30 October 2018]

This is a crime-satire taking a Making a Murderer-like approach to the crime of vandalizing 20+ teachers' cars with graffited d*icks.

It has an obvious suspect, Dylan, who is perhaps not the prepetrator of these crime but simply a patsy to take the fault, given his track record. This hypotehsis is explored by two kids who would very much like to direct a documentary about the event.

The reason I did not enjoy particularly this show was

• it is not particularly funny, (has no laugh out loud moments) even if it keeps ridiculing the crime documentary genre throughout the show
• characters are somewhat cliche (perhaps on purpose)
• you tend to find out new facts about the "crime" but that does not make it by no means a cliff-hanger driven show, nor was that I point I think
• although you sometimes sympathize with Dylan (the main suspect) I was not compelled enough to watch this show in full to find out what happens to him

This is very boring..

[marialamer · 2/10 · 24 December 2017]

Who in the heck is giving this show 9 and 10 star ratings? I laughed through the first 15 minutes of Episode One, got a few chuckles after that, then it became quickly mundane.

I honestly coudn't make it through Episode 2. Well, contrived humor is just not my jam. Do I have to keep talking to make it to the limit? LOL!

I happen to aspire to be a very succinct person in my communication.