After years of hit-and-miss improvs and Apatow scruffiness, American comedies seem to be returning to carefully scripted material. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle surprised everyone with its astute gaming jokes while Game Night upped the ante with a cast that made its twisty plot into an endless stream of laughter. Now we have Blockers, which would probably seem more fresh if it wasn’t preceded by those two gems, yet it still feels like a cure-all for the overlong, slapdash comedies we have been getting.
Any plot synopsis of Blockers will make it sound backwards in ways it absolutely is not, so here’s my qualifier-filled attempt: Three teenage girls make a pact to lose their virginity on prom night, but the film never treats their sexuality as lurid or immoral. Three of their parents find out, and while they do lose it, each are freaking out for misplaced reasons. The parents track down their kids through a drug and alcohol-fueled night and hilarity ensues. That last one doesn’t really need a qualifier because most of the scenarios that come about are genuinely funny.
I know, I wasn’t expecting this to turn out well, either. Lots of credit must go to Kay Cannon, who makes her directorial debut here with material that almost certainly benefited from a woman’s touch. But it’s the sweet heart and soul that permeates everything in Blockers that keeps the thick raunch from being uncomfortable. Its pervasiveness means it was likely there in the script, and the cast and crew all bought in. A true team effort, as is any movie, and while it doesn’t have the highest laugh rate, the fact that everyone lands the most important bits means you get some surprisingly guilt-free hilarity.
Double Trouble
One of the great joys of Blockers is established early on as our two trios are introduced in distinctive and efficient little scenes. The parents meet on their kid’s first day of school, and as hulking dad Mitchell (John Cena) cries watching his daughter walk away, Lisa (Leslie Mann) gently comforts him. Both ignore Hunter’s (Ike Barinholtz) observation that their daughters are instant friends, and his suggestion that they grab a friendly beer goes unheeded. They, of course, are the trio that will be chasing their daughters twelve years later, and the amount of group dynamics and running jokes established in this scene is quite remarkable.
A brief montage of growing up ensues and we quickly get to prom day, which is when the three girls enter their pact. In a move that is sadly notable, each one brings a load of personality to the conversation, and those audience members who were unsure of the film’s premise will start to relax in their chair. That the teens aren’t treated as either placeholders or objects is an encouraging sign, and the fact that the actresses (Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Gideon Adlon) bounce off each other with some serious comedy skills leaves you optimistic that the filmmakers aren’t going to shortchange the teen portion of this comedy.
Delightfully, Blockers doesn’t fumble this great setup. While not getting too deep, each character is given motivations that keeps the plot shifting in unexpectedly touching ways. That a major complaint is that the film wraps up too quickly lets you know that my expectations grew quite a bit as the film went on, and I came to expect a more full hashing out of these relationships. You know, in between all the raunchy party humor.
Laughter In Different Forms
Yes, Blockers revels in raunch, but it mixes in enough other kinds of humor to keep you on your toes. Killer one-liners and little asides pass by often enough that you probably won’t catch them all the first time, so multiple viewings may actually benefit your enjoyment in the long run.
On the other side of the spectrum, the film isn’t afraid to go big for laughs, either. As the night unravels, the scenarios the parents find themselves in get downright crazy. Let’s just say the Fast and Furious series gets a shout-out, and that’s not even in the climax. What is in the climax is a brilliant showcase for Mann, who does an extended sequence of physical comedy that brings waves of chuckles and more than a few squirms.
That being said, your appetite for raunch will affect whether you find the film passingly pleasurable or a full-on delight. Nudity and fluids of all sorts abound, and the jokes built on this kind of humor are its longest and most overdone bits. I’m not personally tickled by that stuff, so waiting for the film to get past these scenes did grow a bit tiresome. Still, none of it is too overwhelming to undo all the good the film does.
No Shame In Sex
The big concern for many going into this film will undoubtedly be its take on teen sex, particularly since it focuses on girls trying to get it on. We’ve had plenty of comedies where the boys are dirty, but they rarely have adults trying to stop their whole endeavor. The setup for Blockers seemed ready to pass judgement on the girls’ decision, but thankfully the film never takes the knee-jerk stance of the parents.
Instead, the film contrasts the adults’ hasty worry with the teens’ flippant confidence for a more balanced take, always keeping in mind the endless dialogue around women, particularly young women, and their sexual agency. It’s even bold enough to have a character give a lecture on these points, which puts a nice pin in these ideas and allows the jokes about the whole scenario to really land.
But most importantly, the film keeps in mind that these characters are teens and the audience is primarily adults. Any sexual gaze on them would be out of place, and it never crosses the line in that regard. Their sexuality is respected, yes, but the audience is not asked to ogle them.
Blockers: A Surprising Success
As an unabashedly raunchy comedy with its heart in all the right places, Blockers gives the teen sex comedy a nice sprucing up. The laughs may be intermittent, but big ones come at a steady pace thanks to the game cast and a lean script. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll even get you a bit emotional.
Did Blockers get you laughing? Let us know in the comments!
Blockers was released in the UK on March 30, 2018 and will be released in the US on April 6, 2018.. For international release dates, see here.
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