Seth Rogen’s 2018 film, Blockers, is a modern twist on the sex comedy genre that has woven its way into the lives of teens across the country. It was written by Jim and Brian Kehoe and co-produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Universal Pictures, along with DMG Entertainment and Point Grey Pictures, released the film on April 6, 2018 and it has since grossed $85 million worldwide. For the 102 minutes it is on screen, viewers will find themselves laughing along with and at the characters as they follow the story of three teenaged best friends and their crazy, overprotective parents on the night of their senior prom.
The film, which stars Leslie Mann as Lisa, Ike Barinholtz as Hunter, and John Cena as Mitchell, follows the story of three parents to three teenage girls as they try and stop each of their daughters from fulfilling their prom night pact to lose their virginity. After finding out about the pact through reading the girls’ groupchat, the crazy, overprotective parents show up at the prom, follow the girls to an after party, get caught up in the middle of a drinking competition, find themselves running rampid around a hotel, crashing their car, and stalking their kids the entire night. The girls, on the other hand, go to their school prom, attend an after party, go to a hotel, and are thoroughly enjoying their time for the majority of the night. Throughout the night, the three parents must reconcile their differences in order to work together and reach their daughters before it is too late.
Before seeing the movie, I had seen multiple previews and had heard from peers all about it. I had expectations that the movie would keep me constantly laughing, and I was not disappointed. From the very first scene when the girls were seen going off to their first ever day of school to the very last scene where they are seen leaving for college, I found myself constantly laughing. In between laughing, I also found myself becoming invested in each of the parents stories. Throughout the film it becomes apparent that each of the parents have a problem they need to solve with their daughters. Lisa is a single mother who struggles to let her only child go to UCLA, Mitchell is overprotective and struggles with his daughters sexuality and her becoming older, and Hunter feels guilty for missing so much of his daughter’s life during his awful separation from her mother. The underlying problems behind the parents’ motivation develops a bittersweet tone, but one that is masked by the overwhelming humor incorporated into every scene.
As a teenager myself, watching this film made me start to understand some of the things my own parents may feel or things they may be struggling to cope with. Although a comedy, I think it offers a serious lesson for both teenagers and parents. For teens I think the film can serve as a teaching point, whereas for parents, I think it serves as something that they can look to and think ‘okay, I’m not the only one going through this’. It is a story that allows people, specifically parents and their children, to understand one another and shows them that good things come from talking about your thoughts and feelings. The film’s dual aspect allows it to appeal to a wider range of audiences and is just another aspect that makes the film a must see.
Overall, I think the film was very funny, relatable, and appealed to a wide range of audiences. I have noticed that as technology has developed and become a larger part of people’s lives, that it also creates a wall that blocks communication. We often find ourselves so immersed in our ‘online world’ and on social media, that we no longer take time to communicate and talk about our feelings and thoughts. The decision of the people involved in making this movie to have the parents find out about the plan through accidentally reading the group chat is a subtle hint at this wall that technology has built and that is blocking communication. The girls don’t tell them and they don’t find out by overhearing, but rather find out through reading messages on a laptop. The laptop is symbolic of the barrier that technology has created, hindering communication between loved ones. The movie itself teaches viewers the lesson that in the end, resolving problems and being open about one’s feelings is more beneficial than bottling up emotions.
Based off of my interest in comedy:
Game Night (good, good)
Bridesmaids (good, good)
Dodgeball (good,good)
The Hangover (good, good)
Deadpool (good, good)
Be Reel Rating: good, good
Trailer can be found on: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blockers/
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