Footloose

The music is on his side.

1984 • 107 min • Drama · Romance

Join the Angel Guild Write your review Sign in to rate and review

Synopsis

When teenager Ren and his family move from big-city Chicago to a small town in the West, he's in for a real case of culture shock after discovering he's living in a place where music and dancing are illegal.

Our family guide

Best from age 12

Movie Knight Score

2242 reviews

100 Reviewers · 3 · 53%
67 Audience · 2239 · 47%

When big-city Ren moves to a small town where dancing and rock music are banned, he rallies his new friends to challenge the strict rules. This upbeat drama explores themes of rebellion, community, and personal freedom as Ren fights for the right to dance.

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

Heads up

Some arguments and clashes between teens and adults.
Characters drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes.
Rebellious behavior, including breaking rules.
Brief, non-explicit suggestive content.

What it models well

Standing up for what you believe in
The power of music and dance
Bridging generational divides
Community and friendship

Talk about it after

Why do you think the town elders were so afraid of dancing?
How can young people make their voices heard respectfully?
What responsibilities come with freedom?
Discuss how different people cope with grief and loss.

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

Where to watch

Country

Stream

Peacock Premium
Philo
AMC Plus Apple TV Channel
AMC+ Amazon Channel
AMC+
YouTube TV
AMC
Peacock Premium Plus

Free

Kanopy

Free with ads

YouTube Free

Rent

Buy

Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.

Top billed cast

Director: Herbert Ross • Crew: Dean Pitchford

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

Recommended
"Ren" (Kevin Bacon) moves from the big city to a small town run by the rather puritanical preacher "Moore" (John Lithgow) only to find that dancing, singing - indeed just about every form of entertainment has been banished. He claims that is to protect them and their children from ungodly corrupting influences.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
It's still one of my favorites and I could hardly walk when it first came out. And now it's legend, so writing a real review is almost needless. Just about everyone has seen it. It's still regarded as a classic. So I suppose the best thing to say is that it's like the Karate Kid...only with dancing rather than martial arts. Single mother and son move into a new town.…
GenerationofSwine, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
"A time to mourn and a time to dance" - Ecclesiastes 3:4 RELEASED IN 1984 and directed by Herbert Ross, “Footloose” chronicles events in the small Western town of Bomont where dancing and loud music have been outlawed because of an accident that killed some kids years earlier.…
Wuchak, TMDB Community