No Hard Feelings, 2023.
Directed by Gene Stupnitsky.
Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti, Matthew Broderick, Natalie Morales, Scott MacArthur, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Kyle Mooney, Hasan Minhaj, Jordan Mendoza, Amalia Yoo, Alysia Joy Powell, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Matthew Noszka, Zahn McClarnon, and Matt Walton.
SYNOPSIS:
On the brink of losing her home, Maddie finds an intriguing job listing: helicopter parents looking for someone to bring their introverted 19-year-old son out of his shell before college. She has one summer to make him a man or die trying.
The plot of No Hard Feelings, which involves down on her luck and emotionally closed off Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) accepting an online ad from overprotective parents Allison and Laird (Laura Benanti and Matthew Broderick), offering the means to a solution to save her family home in exchange for breaking their hopelessly awkward and socially maladjusted 19-year-old son Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) out of his shell by seducing and having sex with him is, to put it nicely, absurdly far-fetched. However, Good Boys director Gene Stupnitsky (a filmmaker apparently trying to single-handedly save the coming-of-age virgin comedy subgenre, here writing alongside John Phillips) is self-aware, mostly focused on jokes, allowing the leads to run with that concept.
There’s an early moment addressing the ridiculousness, as Maddie, meeting with the parents, amusingly acknowledges that while the ad is seeking someone in their young twenties, she looks the part despite being older. It’s rare to see a movie winkingly admit that the plot mainly exists because Hollywood beauty is at its center, elevating every ludicrous story development and piece of situational humor. Obviously, it’s also an excuse for Jennifer Lawrence to excel cast against type as a trainwreck flipping between intentionally cringe-manipulative horny seduction (someone finally found a funny reason to resurrect that terrible Nelly song about getting so hot that their clothes are coming off) and dominant energy that pushes Percy into opening up and experiencing life.
Entering the dog adoption center where Percy works, Maddie comes on strong, practically ready to bone him right there. She makes countless sexual double entendres that baffle him, considering he has been bullied all his life and never received flirtatious attention. This leads to some miscommunications about kidnapping (because apparently, that’s more likely to Percy than anyone ever expressing romantic interest) that is quickly resolved, paving the way to a first date sequence that is simply filled with bursts of laughter and downright surprisingly explicit situations (Jennifer Lawrence impressively pulls off a hilarious extended fight scene while nude).
No Hard Feelings also has heart as Maddie and Percy bond, exploring different reasons individuals pursue sex and what they get, or hope to get, out of intimacy. There wouldn’t be a movie if popping the boy’s cherry didn’t somehow turn into a seemingly impossible challenge, making for simple and sweet moments where Percy explains he wants to get to know someone before having sex. Additionally, so is a beautifully tender moment involving a piano performance from Percy. This starkly contrasts Maddie, who still carries emotional baggage and is quick to push partners away after sex or not let them get too close to her soul.
There does reach a point where plot and character work takes over the narrative, which is admittedly frustrating considering it pushes the story down a familiar, predictable path. Thankfully, the execution is solid, but it’s not always easy to buy into some of these people as characters during the film’s slight third-act dramatic shift. Also, when people within Percy’s life are introduced as characters, it raises more questions than answers about his sheltered upbringing and the general naivety and cluelessness resulting from that. Meanwhile, Maddie has an uproariously funny friend couple (Natalie Morales and Scott MacArthur); the latter gives some of the worst advice while remaining charming and likable.
Whether or not No Hard Feelings aims to make a statement about helicopter parenting feels up in the air, as it somewhat lets their questionable behavior off the hook. There also appear to be missed opportunities to explore sex further beyond comedic purposes. It peaks as a comedy somewhere in the first half, remaining effective enough everywhere else. Otherwise, this is a legitimately raunchy riot, with equally game performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
