INCOMING (2024)

 

Written & Directed By Dave Chernin & John Chernin

Cinematography: Ricardo Diaz

Editor: Josh Crockett and Elizabeth Praino

Cast: Mason Thames, Ali Gallo, Isabella Ferreira, Thomas Barbusca, Kaitlin Olson, Bobby Cannavale, Raphael Alejandro, Ramon Reed, Bardia Seiri, Scott Macarthur, Victoria Moroles, Loran Gray

Four freshmen navigate the terrors of adolescence at their first-ever high school party.

This is a raunchy teenage comedy that feels like it is more made for teenagers of today, but in its own strange way, it’s still has a kind of innocence to it.

It will feel familiar for those who have seen plenty of team coming-of-age comedies, but it feels like it belongs more to this next generation as a kind of passing along the lines.

It’s raunchy in language, but it never quite feels exploited of strange and it just feels like a generally fun time and offers to teach lessons and its own rough way.

It is mostly all talk, plenty of action, but very little play and luckily no sex scenes. It stays pretty woke and equilateral though there is a surprisingly little bit of nudity that seems to come out of nowhere and is shocking, but that is as raunchy as the film gets other than language and a brief surprising sex scene out of nowhere. 

That proves at certain points that the movie is more for shock and giggles.

The adult cast here is mainly the big names and full of pros with Kaitlyn Olsen and Bobby Cavale, who plays more of a comedic supporting character that he seems to be getting expertise. This at least seems to have somewhat of a conscience, and it’s just more lonely than anything. 

Even though for all of its juvenile humor, this film can be quite charming and keeps an innocence about itself that stays not only entertaining but interesting throughout and truly tries to push the envelope at times, but never as far as one would expect or put it truly over the top.

No, the storylines and character motivations will feel familiar as it feels like a mashup of different teen movies. I’ll put in one, but luckily, it's not a spoof or parody of those films. 

Though with the Netflix sheen. It comes across at times as trying to fill a niche for an audience or making it feel so businesslike rather than with a heart. 

All in all the film is a good time.

Grade: B-