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Common Sense Media Review

Sweet teen tale has great dancing; language, innuendo.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Work It is an upbeat story of teenagers finding their passion through self expression. It's an underdog tale that features a diverse group of kind-hearted teens, great dancing, good humor, and a happy ending. There's no drinking or drugs, and several of the main characters are focused…

Why Age 13+?

Lots of suggestive dance moves. Two teens kiss, both times after dancing togethe

"Ass." "Hell." "S--t." "Jeez." "God." "Screw them." "Damn." "Goddamn." "Eat me."

Duke University. Subaru. USPS. Adidas. Other Netflix products like Queer Eye

Sparks from staging light fixtures rain down on dancers, apparently singeing one

Any Positive Content?

Teens learn that finding their passion, expressing themselves can be as or more

When Quinn and Jasmine start new dance troupe, they want it to be based on respe

Parents need to know that Work It is an upbeat story of teenagers finding their passion through self expression. It's an underdog tale that features a diverse group of kind-hearted teens, great dancing, good humor, and a happy ending. There's no drinking or drugs, and several of the main characters are focused on getting into good colleges. The way to do that seems to come down to a choice between studying and doing well in school or excelling in an extracurricular activity like dancing. An academic overachiever discovers herself through dance, a storyline that could downplay the benefits of learning from books. Teens flirt, and two kiss twice, while one character imagines her crush topless and then spoons with him on a mattress after making a double entendre about its "firmness." Some of the dancing could be seen as suggestive, and at one point a teen boy gets an erection while dancing. Other people notice it and comment on it. Language includes "ass," "hell," "s--t," "jeez," "God," "screw them," "damn," "goddamn," "eat me," "piss me off," "boner," and "suck." Popular YouTuber Liza Koshy co-stars.

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Sex, Romance & Nudity

Lots of suggestive dance moves. Two teens kiss, both times after dancing together. Jasmine envisions the boy she likes with his shirt off, then spoons with him on a mattress after making a double entendre about its "firmness." An elderly man isn't allowed to watch 50 Shades of Grey after "what happened last time." A teen boy gets an erection while dancing and people notice it and comment on it.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"Ass." "Hell." "S--t." "Jeez." "God." "Screw them." "Damn." "Goddamn." "Eat me." "Piss me off." "Boner." "Suck." "You look like a tampon commercial."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Duke University. Subaru. USPS. Adidas. Other Netflix products like Queer Eye and Homecoming . A variety of artists are featured on the film's soundtrack.

Violence & Scariness

Sparks from staging light fixtures rain down on dancers, apparently singeing one girl's hair. Elderly man dies right after he's watched the teenagers practice their dance routine. Quinn's dad died when she was 12.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Teens learn that finding their passion, expressing themselves can be as or more important than following rules or sticking to path laid out for them by parents. Diverse group embodies "can-do spirit" and teamwork. Elderly woman in nursing home says no matter what your life achievements, "we all end up in the same place," and the best life memories are of fun times.

Positive Role Models

When Quinn and Jasmine start new dance troupe, they want it to be based on respect, "building people up," unlike competitive group led by diva Juilliard, who treats people as his inferiors, constantly puts them down. Each member of diverse troupe brings individual skills -- physical and intellectual -- to the team, and they work together. Friends are loyal, even if they sometimes let each other down. Quinn's mom is devoted to her daughter. Jake teaches Quinn she doesn't need to be in control all the time, and sometimes feeling is more important than thinking. She teaches him not to give up on dance world because of his debilitating injury, takes him to see group of wounded men, including some with missing limbs, who meet in outdoor space to dance. Teens share mostly positive and optimistic outlook. Jasmine's crush on a man seems entirely based on his physique.

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (11)
• Kids say (34)

Based on 11 parent reviews

Cheesy and inappropriate

Alludes to questionable things for being rated pg, what's the story.

Like many high school seniors, Quinn Ackerman's (Sabrina Carpenter) life revolves around getting into the college of her dreams in WORK IT. When an admissions officer (Michelle Buteau) tells her that her application -- with its 4.0 GPA, volunteer jobs, clubs, and cello lessons -- looks just like everyone else's, she lets the officer believe she dances on her school's award-winning team. Problem is, she can't dance -- and flubs the audition to join the team. Determined, she starts her own team instead, recruiting her best friend and talented dancer Jasmine (Liza Koshy) and a ragtag group of misfits with potential. She also convinces former state champion Jake Taylor (Jordan Fisher) to choreograph for them, taking a liking to him in the process. Will the team make it to the championships? Will they be able to compete with the fabulous school troupe led by diva Juilliard (Keiynan Lonsdale)? Either way, Quinn and her new friends will learn a lot about themselves and each other in the process.

Is It Any Good?

This is a refreshingly likable high school movie that follows a formula but hits just the right notes nonetheless. This is largely thanks to the charisma -- not to mention dancing chops -- of its multitalented lead cast, many of whom will be known to the film's target audience for creative endeavors beyond acting. Sabrina Carpenter is sweet as Quinn, the do-gooder with a purpose. Liza Koshy balances her out with some spicier humor as BFF Jasmine. Keiynan Lonsdale is divine as Juilliard, the Artist Formerly Known as Isiah, delivering the film's best one-liners, like "Sashay away!" and "Sage the space!"

Netflix should find a natural audience for Work It . The music-oriented teen tale can thank its predecessors for forging a well-worn path, with special nods to the innocent self-expression of the High School Musical gang and the discover-life-through-dance theme of the Dirty Dancing series. All the genre's clichés are here: high school pressures, underdogs and misfits, self-discovery, first love, embarrassing parents. That could all make this film predictable, which it is. But it's also enjoyable along the way.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what dance means to Work It 's Quinn and what she learns from the experience of starting a dance troupe. Do you have a pastime or artistic endeavor you're passionate about? What role does it play in your life?

Did Quinn need to choose between doing well in school and doing well in dance? Do you think she could have done both? Why or why not?

Many of the actors in the cast are also singers, dancers, or YouTube celebrities, and two sing songs on the film's soundtrack. Did you recognize any of them from elsewhere?

How does this film compare with other high school movies you've seen?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : August 7, 2020
• Cast : Sabrina Carpenter , Jordan Fisher , Keiynan Lonsdale
• Director : Laura Terruso
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors, Queer actors
• Studio : AK Worldwide
• Genre : Comedy
• Topics : Arts and Dance , Friendship , High School
• Character Strengths : Teamwork
• Run time : 92 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : TV-14
• Last updated : February 18, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

High School Musical

Dirty Dancing

Pitch Perfect

Dance movies, best high school movies, related topics.

• Arts and Dance
• High School

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

‘Work It’ Review: A Cast of Young Up-and-Comelies Takes on the Dance-Off Genre

Like its heroine, this Netflix high-school romcom trips before finding the beat.

By Lisa Kennedy

Lisa Kennedy

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Once in a weird while, a movie mimics the flaws — and charms — of its protagonist’s journey to an uncanny degree. Like high schooler Quinn Ackermann, a two-left-footer who does a crash course in dancing in order to get into her first-choice college, “ Work It ” often feels like it too crammed in hopes of becoming a hit. Directed by Laura Terruso and written by Alison Peck (Alicia Keys is a producer), this fairly routine dance-off outing streams on Netflix starting Aug. 7.

Disney Channel-crafted pop star Sabrina Carpenter leads a cast packed with amiable lovelies, including Liza Koshy as best friend Jas, Jordan Fisher as Quinn’s love interest, and Keiynan Lonsdale as the haughty head of the high school’s championship dance team. Many of these actors have fans and social media followings made up of folks who won’t suffer genre fatigue after years of movies that have done this song-and-dance better.

A straight-A student, Quinn wants to attend her deceased father’s alma mater, Duke University, aka “the Harvard of the South.” On a campus visit, she lets slightly flighty admissions officer Ms. Ramirez (Michelle Buteau) believe that in addition to all her other extra-curricular successes, she’s on her high school’s championship dance team, the Thunderbirds. She also lets her mom believe her admission is a done deal. It’s not her finest moment but Quinn tries to refashion her lie into a truth by first trying out for the Thunderbirds, led by Julliard, who is attended to by two mean-girl minions. When that doesn’t work, Quinn drags best friend Jas — an exceptional Thunderbird dancer — along on what appears a fool’s errand: a new team.

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The classmates they recruit reflect Quinn’s over-achieving research into winning teams as well as the filmmakers’ enthusiastic nods to genre. There’s “flipper” and lanky geek Robby G (Tyler Hutchings); goth rebel Raven (Bianca Asilo); underwhelming soccer player but terrific stepper Chris (Neil Robles); slinger of hot playlists DJ Tapes (Nathaniel Scarlette); and soc-media maven Priya (Indiana Mehta). Fisher steps up as Jake Taylor, the dreamy, wounded (literally as well as figuratively) former dancer and choreographer who declines to mentor these motleys, but can’t help himself. He’s destined to become teacher and love interest.

Popular on Variety

Many a montage later, the multi-racial crew (which never exactly agreed on a name) faces off with the Thunderbirds. Few of the lessons and triumphs of “Work It” will surprise, and some of the missed opportunities disappoint. Why set a movie so specifically in a place — North Carolina’s Triangle — and then assiduously avoid anything even vaguely Southern in the movie? And is it really OK to foreground a white protagonist, surround her with friends of color and not write more backstory and texture for these friends? In evading more contemporary concerns (and, yes, they’ve been timely for years), the director and screenwriter stumble some.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t some sweet moments in “Work It,” and a winning turn by Carpenter. Among them: a couple of visits to the posh assisted living facility where Quinn volunteers; an even lovelier scene in which a street busking crew of break dancers with disabilities does its thing; a clever remix of a Gloria Estefan hit.

The dance-offs demand (and often deliver) the kinetic oomph that comes with a precise mix of choreography (courtesy Aakomon Jones of “Pitch Perfect” franchise), cinematography (Rogier Stouffers) and editing (Andrew Marcus). Costume designer Georgina Yarhi captures nicely “the work it, gurllll” brazenness of pink-haired Julian and his Thunderbirds, who flock around the high school halls in flamingo-hued satin sweat suits. And Quinn’s early ensembles (buttoned to the very top, oversized, blue oxford shirt) suggest a young woman who hasn’t yet made friends with her body.

Will dance change Quinn’s wardrobe and her still blossoming soul? “Work It” leaves little room to wonder but a few occasions to sit back and smile at the transformation.

Reviewed online, Denver, Aug. 4, 2020. Running time: 92 MIN.

• Production: A Netflix release and presention of an STX Films, Alloy Entertainment production. Producers: Leslie Morgenstein, Elysa Koplovitz Dutton, Alicia Keys. Executive producers: Jeremiah Samuels, Sabrina Carpenter.
• Crew: Director: Laura Terruso. Camera: Rogier Stouffers. Screenplay: Alison Peck. Editor: Andrew Marcus. Music: Germaine Franco.
• With: Sabrina Carpenter, Liza Koshy, Keiynan Lonsdale, Michelle Buteau, Jordan Fisher, Drew Ray Tanner, Jayne Eastwood, Naomi Snieckus, Briana Andrade-Gomes, Kalliane Bremault, Bianca Asilo, Neil Robles, Nathaniel Scarlette, Tyler Hutchings, Indiana Mehta.

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