No Hard Feelings
2023 · Directed by Gene Stupnitsky
Original language: English
- comedy
- romance
The story
On the brink of losing her childhood home, Maddie discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy, before he leaves for college. To her surprise, Maddie soon discovers the awkward Percy is no sure thing.
What it’s like
Bright, sun-warmed summer days in a Long Island beach town, with the palette of a mainstream studio comedy: saturated blues of the ocean, pastel beach houses, and lots of daylight spilling into ordinary kitchens and cluttered living rooms. The camera stays fairly conventional, mostly medium shots and two-shots that let the awkward timing breathe, with the occasional wider frame to fit a beach or a boardwalk. The score is light and bouncy, built on guitar and piano pop, and the soundtrack leans on 2000s-style radio tunes. Its vibe is breezy, bawdy and warm, with a little ache underneath, the kind of thing that suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a long-haul flight, or a comfort rewatch with friends. The rhythm is brisk, the jokes come fast and often crude, and the sexual humor is frank, with suggestive scenes, nudity and plenty of innuendo, but very little real violence and no gore. Its emotional register moves from comic embarrassment toward sincere tenderness: a financially stranded woman and a socially anxious young man slowly learn to see each other clearly. It is for viewers who want an R-rated romantic comedy with a generous heart and a sense of humor that is more messy than polished.
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