“CINEMA SATURDAY”
Previously seen on Netflix in some areas and Amazon Prime Video, Blockers is somewhat of a ‘new-ish’ flick that takes comedy by the horns in the 21st century. The movie marks Kay Cannon’s directorial debut, and though the format isn’t all that new, the subject matter is and is very worthy of a watch. Viewers can expect to see a few faces they’ve seen before such as Leslie Mann and WWE superstar John Cena, as well as more up and coming performers like Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Gideon Adion. The comedic adventure of the ‘trifecta’ is evident on two fronts in this movie, as there are two sets with two different goals.
The story could not be simpler, which is to the advantage of this production as some of the content is still somewhat taboo (though, well, not really and it certainly shouldn’t be at this point). Think American Pie, switch the genders and alert the parents, and this is basically the plotline. Parents Lisa, Mitchell, and Ike are neighbourhood friends whose daughters have all grown up together in the same area. The daughters – Julie, Kayla, and Sam – are all in their senior year and gearing up for the most important night of their life to date: the prom. The reference of American Pie now comes into focus, as in that story, the group of young men made a pact that they would lose their virginities by the end of prom. It seems that young ladies are just as capable of making that arrangement, as Julie, Kayla, and Sam all agree that they’ll have sex with their dates before the night is out. All systems are a go until the parents discover text messages that reveal said pact, hence setting in motion a wild ride for the parents to attempt to put a stop to their daughters’ plans.
Kay Cannon is the true champion here, as she’s taken the writing and brought it into an easily relatable light. Almost every parent in this day and age, even the most open minded of parents, have moments where they realize their youth may be sexually active. The interesting part is how ‘sons’ are treated in comparison to ‘daughters’. This is where Cannon and writers Brian and Jim Kehoe hit the nail on the head. For too long it has not been made as big an issue for young men to be sexually active, even as early as teenage years. For young women, not so much. The hypocrisy of this mid-evil way of thinking is tackled well in this production. Cannon and the writers show the real side of how parents react to the thought of their daughters engaging in such activities, but they end the movie with thought provoking resolutions that may have many parents rethinking how they examine the situation.
Blockers is not a movie that encourages or endorses teenage sex.
Blockers is not a movie that encourages or endorses teenage sex. It is only a movie, like so many others before it, that highlights that it DOES happen and that both the young men and young women in the house are having it. Solid points are still made about either waiting to be with someone with whom there is a mutual connection, or at the very least, not treating it like it is some box to check. Though the subject matter is approached in a way that is blunt and sometimes very crass, it is still a fairly accurate representation of how sex is discussed amongst teenagers, and amongst adults. See this movie with an open mind, be ready to laugh, but in addition, also be ready to think. This especially applies to any parents out there who may sit down on the coach to take a look.
