Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

Some people live by the motto “Work hard, play hard”, others just work hard. Amy (Kaitlyn Dever; Short Term 12) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein; Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising) are in the latter group. The two girls spent their time in high school ignoring their social lives in order to get the stellar grades and extracurricular activities needed to get admission into a good college. They’re perfectly fine with their choices until Molly realizes that the popular kids she has looked down on also got into great schools which, causing a mini-meltdown. Not wanting to have gone through high school without ever breaking any rules, the two young women decide they are going to crash a graduation party on their last night of school.

Booksmart has been labeled by some as “the female Superbad”, but that comparison sells the film short. It does feature two best friends trying to go to a party at the end of their high school career, but where Superbad frequently relied on crass humor, Booksmart uses its deep bench of entertaining characters. That’s not to say the film doesn’t have its fair share of vulgarity, it certainly does, but rather it has more cards in its deck to use.

The film is carried by the exceptional chemistry of its leads. Amy and Molly have the natural back-and-forth of friends that have been inseparable for years. The way they finish each other’s sentences and have routines they play through, like giving each other effusive praise on their outfits, overflows with the effortless comfort of best friends.

Molly and Amy have the bevy of inside jokes that only best friends would.

Like any story that takes place in a high school, Booksmart deals with familiar tropes. There are jocks, popular kids, theater kids, and more, but the members of each clique are done with hilarious heart. The supporting cast is uniformly amazing with a rotating ensemble of high schoolers that make their way in and out of the movie. They never feel like characters that exist only to deliver a single line. The way they come in and out of the girls path feels organic, like they are living their own story just off screen. Special standouts are Gigi (Billie Lourd; Star Wars: The Last Jedi), an unhinged young woman who seems to pop up everywhere, and the overly dramatic theater kids that deliver every line with the flamboyant affect of a self-proclaimed thespian.

In her first outing as director, Olivia Wilde turns in strong work. Each of the film’s settings, from the school to the multiple parties, is authentically chaotic like any room filled with rambunctious teens would be. She controls the chaos onscreen and provides impressive visuals given the simple locations. Her greatest asset is her mastery of comedic timing. She knows when to cross-cut between conflicting scenes to contrast the insanity of a party and when to engage in the many extended takes to emphasize escalating action. This leads to a film that is consistently funny. Booksmart is one of the few films that can boast that every character with spoken dialogue will make you laugh, often several times. Wilde’s skill at directing comedy and the genuine affection of the central friendship make Booksmart an hilarious coming-of-age story.

4/5 stars.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising has all the hallmarks of a comedy sequel. It basically repeats the same plot as the original and tries to outdo previous gags. Mac (Seth Rogen; Pineapple Express) and Kelly (Rose Byrne; The Meddler) are selling their house and have finally found a buyer. The catch is that they are in escrow for 30 days, meaning that the buyers can check in at any time and withdraw their offer if they see something they don’t like. This isn’t an issue until the previously abandoned frat house next door is rented by a group of college girls led by Shelby (Chloë Grace Moretz; Kick-Ass). The young women are fed up with official sororities and the debasement of frat parties and want to break out on their own. Teddy (Zac Efron; High School Musical), the frat leader from the first film, joins forces with Mac and Kelly to get girls kicked out of the house before they scare off potential buyers.

Despite the familiar setup, the film uses the gender swap to approach the story from a different angle. They do an incredible job of skewering the Greek system. Sororities are shown as superficial with cult-like rules and rituals and fraternities are portrayed as cesspools of objectification. At their first frat party, Shelby is horrified to learn that the party is just a way to get them drunk enough to have sex. The film is able to evaluate this with humor. There are signs that read “NO MEANS YES” and frat guys shouting “You wanna go upstairs?” to anyone that will listen that are hilarious but also resonate because they are based in reality. These are only slight exaggerations of things that happen at real fraternity parties and the film is able to balance its comedy with criticism.

The critique of sexism inherent in Greek organizations provides a unique source of humor.

Many of the jokes rely too heavily on improv. This has become somewhat of an epidemic in modern comedies, particularly those starring Seth Rogen. Instead of using written and rehearsed lines, the director allows actors to ad lib several takes and compiles the results in post-production. This method can sometimes lead to spontaneous gems, but relying on it misses the essence of good comedy: timing. There are several scenes where the cast is clearly making up their lines as they go along, hoping that overacting will lead to some laughs. However, this typically only leads to failed jokes and in some cases racially charged remarks that don’t have a place in the film. The movie is at its funniest during the elaborate, planned, set pieces. These sequences allow the likeable cast to show off their comedic talents and have the required timing necessary to succeed.

It would have been easy for this film to fall into The Hangover 2 category. A by-the-numbers sequel relying on the success of the original, rather than its own quality, for box office revenues. The humor does not live up to the first film but even as many jokes miss their mark, it’s difficult to dislike the movie. The cast is eminently charismatic and even their failed attempts don’t become irritating. Instead, the surprisingly well realized feminist theme adds depth unusual to the genre and is able to eclipse the uneven humor and elevate the film.

3/5 stars.

BS Reviews

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