Blockers: Review

Kay Cannon directs Blockers, her first movie which follows the lives of three parents and their kids as they attempt to prevent their daughters from losing their virginity on their prom night.

Starring John Cena, Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz as the parents of three teenage girls, they set out to prevent their daughters from completing their #SexPact2018 during their prom night by following them around, going to their parties, spying on their social media messages and even getting involved in a beer chugging contest in order to ‘cock-block’ their kids. The girls themselves are unrealistically oblivious to their parent’s actions, even when Leslie Mann precedes to conspicuously crawl out of a room that her daughter is in.

The first half hour of the movie is slow, full of cringe-worthy dialogue and an obvious play on the fact that parents know relatively nothing about their teenagers’ lives or their use of social media and emojis. The comedy really kicked into gear once the parents set out to try and control their kids’ lives. Using the cringe to pull off comedic effect, Cannon effectively executes each comedic moment to its breaking point, without getting dull, before swiftly moving on to the next to ensure the audience stays captivated.

Plus, the teenagers in this film are for once realistic and authentic, willing to try anything on their prom night and for the character of Sam (Gideon Adlon), the on-screen daughter of Ike Barinholtz, that includes a heartfelt conversation with her father about her sexuality, reminding audiences that despite the comedy in the coming-of-age story, growing up is rarely easy.

This comedy plays on the fact that the storyline is daft and unrealistic, over-exaggerating the lengths at which these parents would go to control their kids. With a great underlying message of gender equality when it comes to sex lives – where the loss of a guy’s virginity is seen as something to celebrate, whilst girl’s is seen as a sacred act or something to be ashamed of. This movie has comedy, a great cast, a select few but appreciated heartfelt moments and a good moral message for teens and adults alike.

In the end, maybe it’s the parents that needed to grow up.

By Faith Pring