Blockers

Hormones sure do make teenagers crazy with promiscuity in teen sex comedies and it seems to be heightened at prom night. Most of those in the aforementioned are usually focused on the goofy lengths our young protagonists are willing to go to reach the sexual conquest goals they are facing whether it's sealing the deal with their love interest, losing their virginity, or just getting to that wild insane party. The fascinating thing to note is that their parents aren't really featured that much since they are just wise support to look up to. However, a newly released entry, Blockers, has gained positive attention since its release at SXSW and the fact that it's a female director whose helming this project (Kay Cannon, who wrote the Pitch Perfect films), which was written by five men (it shows). The marketing campaign showed an interesting premise as well as some tidbits involving the core parents in the film doing some wacky things and the comedy gained a positive critical reception. I entered the auditorium ready to see if the moderate buzz surrounding this humorous romp is worth viewing and left it in a happy spirit from the watching, though it's not as great as it could have been.

Plot: The story follows parents who learn about their daughters sex pact for prom night and venture out to stop them from losing their virginities. The plot lines explored tend to involve the groups doing what you would expect but it also has the sensibility to add some new features to some of these people such as a diverse couple, observing teenage girls be the ones who want sex as well as hilariously objectify boys in a casual conversation, and even having one of them come to terms with their own sexuality. The quality of the writing and the execution tend to waver at times where one set of actors can deliver very well while others struggle at times. In terms of the screen time spent between the parents and the girls, the ratio is more 70:30 (or even 65:35), which is both a pro and a con. The pro being that it allows the more experienced cast members strut their comedic skills (for the most part) and the lesser known ones surprise the audience in wanting to see them in more projects. The way storylines end in the third act are great to watch in terms of some physical comedy utilized and allowing the chemistry between the family pairs shine the best.

However, for as much fun as the positives are, there are hindrances that hold the film back from being  as great as it could have been. Because the parents are focused on more than the girls, the issues with how the jokes are laid out become more evident in terms of the directing and script. Some of the acting can be iffy depending on the actor and the writing. There are those that go on too long that lose their punch the more it's pushed onto the actor (it shows). It can drag the runtime at times but thankfully this doesn't affect the teens subplot. It's not afraid to utilize some cheap gags most commonly such as showing genitalia and projectile vomiting.

The Parents: The parents to focus on are Lisa (Leslie Mann), Hunter (Ike Barinholtz), and Mitchell (John Cena). Lisa is Julie's single mother whose close bond with her daughter comes to odds with the latter's future. Leslie is the best performer among the trio in terms of line delivery and carrying a fun crazy spirit in her mannerisms (an underrated comedian). Hunter is Sam's absent father trying to reconnect with the latter and help her with some pressured choices. Ike gives a solid portrayal as an outsider attempting to win the favor back of a loved one with some fairly good jokes under his belt and some emotional scenes. Mitchell is Kayla's very overprotective father unsure of how prepared she is for milestones in her adult life. John is noticeably the weakest link among the core three as he's trying his best acting wise but needs more experience in order to become as great as he can be (but has some nice humorous moments of his own, not including anything with genitalia or how he handles beer in one scene).

The Teens: The high school teenagers taking the sex pact together are Julie (Kathryn Newton), Sam (Gideon Adlon), and Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan). Julie is Lisa's optimistic, ambitious daughter with goals to make a good future for herself. Kathryn gives a bright performance as someone wanting to take the next steps in her life (both in short and long term). Sam is Hunter's closeted daughter attempting to come to terms with her own feelings against the fears of losing her friends. Gideon is one of my personal favorites among them for not only being a welcome surprise but also being very relatable in terms of conveying nerve wrecking awkwardness in figuring yourself out and trying new things (while also looking adorable).

Kayla is Mitchell's casual chill offspring who wants to experiment with some antics she's old enough to try. Geraldine is another favorite to lookout for with her comedic timing that she knocks out of the park (essentially becoming that relaxed party friend you want to have in your hangout group). Honorable mentions go to Connor (Miles Robbin) and Chad (Jimmy Bellinger) for embracing their high school stereotypes you would expect in raunchy films with some funny moments of their own.

Overall Consensus: Blockers embraces predictable cliches while adding new features to sex comedies with great cast performances, goofy jokes that can be hit or miss, and a fun spirit throughout providing a great hangout experience. ⭑⭑⭑1/2🎟* Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes R

*: Recommended only with a group of friends. Otherwise 💻.

Reasons to watch it: You like any of the aforementioned actors. You love raunchy sex comedies that focus on the parents and the teens. You don't mind some cheap gags being utilized like nudity and projectile vomit. You and your friends are looking for a fun laidback movie to watch in a crowd. You want to see a female director helm an R rated humorous romp. You don't mind jokes that can be hit or miss and those that go too long. You enjoy watching young relatable characters going through ordeals you have encountered in high school.

Reasons to avoid it: You dislike any of the aforementioned actors. You hate raunchy sex comedies with predictable cliches. You are annoyed with some cheap gags being utilized like nudity and projectile vomit. You and your friends aren't looking for a laidback movie to watch in a crowd.

Coming up next: April Anticipation has just bounced back with fun laughter from Blockers. With two films left to cover and this month having been mostly positive so far, let's jump back into another action flick. This blockbuster sequel has been out in theaters for one month and Guillermo Del Toro didn't return to direct this one like he did for the predecessor so what happened to it without him at the helm? Tune in next time as Screening Spectacles will be reviewing the follow-up to the 2013 robot monster slugfest, Pacific Rim: Uprising!!