On the brink of losing her childhood home, a desperate woman agrees to date a wealthy couple's introverted and awkward 19-year-old son before he leaves for college.
Director: Gene Stupnitsky
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Matthew Broderick
Release Date: June 23, 2023
Genre: Comedy
Rated R for sexual content, language, some graphic nudity and brief drug use
Runtime: 1h 43m
No Hard Feelings is a throwback sex comedy that works because of strong turns from Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman. Gene Stupnitsky's gives his film a breezy likable tone that makes it easy to like. Anyone who's seen his previous film, 2018's equally raunchy Good Boys, will have a good idea of what's in store as it delivers the same mixture of raunchiness and sweetness throughout. The plot uses a deceivingly simple set up to build into something a bit more character focused than you'd expect from this kind of film. Jennifer Lawrence deserves a lion’s share of the credit as her natural charisma and talent make this film far more enjoyable than it should be. Lawrence shows off some impressive comedic timing along with a real talent for physical comedy something on full display in one scene that's sure to have plenty of people talking. Andrew Barth Feldman is more than up to the task as the doe eyed, nerdy introvert who Lawrence is tasked to bring out of his shell. Together they share some fun, awkward chemistry together which generates the majority of the laughs especially early on as Lawrence sets the sex appeal to ten paired with Feldman's scared turtle. The May December relationship manages to maintain a certain tenderness and sweetness even as the story takes some fairly predictable turns in its final act where it starts to lose some steam. The script tries to give the character's a bit more depth but it only partially works since it’s not really fleshed out which makes for a clunker ending that feels a bit too air tight. That being said No Hard Feelings is an enjoyable romp that brings more than its fair share of adult laughs to the screen.
B-
