Film review: Blockers (2018)

One of these things is not like the other.  Jami’s off in Chicago so I’m watching something cheerful and stupid, and this qualifies.  Given its premise it should be really, really bad, but like another recent comedy Game Night, it’s surprisingly good, with genuine laughs, likeable characters and a pretty good message.  Okay, here’s the premise: three teenage girls make a “sex pact” to lose their virginity on Prom Night, their parents (well, one parent each for each girl) discover this and spend the night chasing them around trying to “Block” them.  Add to that that it’s obviously from the Judd Apatow school of comedy (and one of the parents is his actual wife, Leslie Mann, who was in This is 40 and other gems), and it does not look promising.  Oh, and one of the other parents is the ex-wrestler John Cena.  So why did I watch it?  It was free and I’d “read good things” about it (although obviously not here).  And I’m glad I did – I heartily recommend it!  I liked Game Night, and I actually like this better.  Some recent study said that we laugh something like 40 times more if we watch a comedy with others, so I shouldn’t’ve laughed at all at this, but I did.  I even found myself smiling at the obligatory butt-chugging scene.  So how can such a premise be redeemed?  Well, by the fact that the parents learn that their daughters’ sex lives are none of their concern, and it’s totally okay if the boy involved is nice and they really like each other.  Plus it helps that everyone involved is actually funny and everyone has good chemistry.  My one caveat is that one parent/daughter pair seems to be the odd one out – the nerdy/Jewish/(mild spoiler alert) gay girl and her obnoxious, divorced, but actually most enlightened father.  Both are not treated well by their partners in crime, and it’s most noticeable in the girl, who is sort of ignored by her Jock/Princess friends.  I won’t tell you any of the other set pieces, but yes, drugs and puking and embarrassing sex (and not just by the young ‘uns) are involved.  And John Cena is naturally funny!  I suppose after The Rock and Dave Bautista (and Brian Glover) this shouldn’t be surprising, but it’s still worth noting.  So… if you’re on a ‘plane and it’s one of the options – check it out!  You’ll be pleasantly surprised (provided you're not exactly expecting sophistication).