Movie review: Blockers
Thank you, Blockers, for enlightening me on the concept of butt-chugging.
I did not need to know about it, but now I do, and I cannot un-know it.
More specifically, I cannot unsee everyone's second-favourite World Wrestling Entertainment superstar-turned-Hollywood actor pulling down his pants at a high school house party to have beer funnelled into where the sun doesn't shine.
John Cena is no Dwayne Johnson, but he has proven to be a good sport, game for anything.
This raunchy comedy is not in the same league as genre hits like American Pie, The Hangover or The 40-Year-Old Virgin, but it is moderately successful at balancing the gross-out aspects with the story's heartfelt core.
The premise is almost too simple - foil a prom night sex pact - to sustain over 100 minutes, to the point that at certain junctures, you can almost see how much it is straining to get to the next exaggerated escapade.
Laugh-out-loud moments include the panic-stricken parents' attempt to decipher their daughters' emoji codes, but the most hysterical set piece involves them stumbling upon the bizarre sex games between a kinky middle-aged couple (Gary Cole and Gina Gershon make nude cameos) - not once, but twice.
Among the adults, it is Ike Barinholtz's unhinged performance as the divorced absent dad that steals the show. (Sorry, Cena).
And the trio of young women (Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan and Gideon Adlon) at the heart of the plot are surprisingly watchable, their characters showcasing a depth rarely seen in such a genre.
Adlon especially encapsulates her growing confusion over her sexual orientation well.
For those who crave progressive, inclusive and LGBTQ-friendly narratives, Blockers is the kind of movie that is perfect in its imperfections.
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