Encino Man

When the stone age meets the rock age.

1992 • 88 min • Comedy

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Synopsis

High school misfits Stoney and Dave discover a long-frozen primeval man buried in their backyard. But the thawed-out Link—as the boys have named him—quickly becomes a wild card in the teens' already zany Southern California lives. After a shave and some new clothes, Link's presence at school makes the daily drudgery a lot more interesting.

Our family guide

Best from age 11

Movie Knight Score

727 reviews

100 Reviewers · 1 · 51%
58 Audience · 726 · 49%

Two high school friends discover a frozen caveman in their backyard, thaw him out, and try to pass him off as an exchange student. His prehistoric antics shake up their suburban world, leading to comedic chaos and unexpected lessons about friendship and fitting in.

Violence & peril: 2/10
Language: 3/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 3/10
Romance & sensuality: 2/10
Scary moments: 1/10

Heads up

Some crude humor and mild language
Brief scenes of teen drinking and smoking
Stereotypical high school dynamics

What it models well

Friendship and loyalty
Accepting differences
Open-mindedness

Talk about it after

Adapting to new environments
Judging others by appearances
The meaning of popularity

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Encino Man. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Les Mayfield • Crew: Shawn Schepps, George Zaloom, Shawn Schepps

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Hard '90s. I dig it. _Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go._
Gimly, TMDB Community