Superbad
2007 · Directed by Greg Mottola
Original language: English
- comedy
The story
Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.
What it’s like
Bright, flat suburban daylight and sun-washed Los Angeles streets give way to fluorescent-lit convenience stores, cramped bedrooms and a long night of sodium-orange streetlight and party-house glare, all shot in handheld, unfussy coverage that stays close to its teenagers as they bicker and scramble. The score is a loose spill of hip-hop and rock cues, and the dialogue overlaps and rushes, so the sound feels crowded and loud. The vibe is raucous, affectionate and a little bruised: a sweet-hearted buddy comedy with the chaos of one very bad night. It suits a rowdy night in with friends, a comfort rewatch when you want to laugh out loud, or easy company on a long drive. Pacing is brisk and talky, with the humour built on profanity, awkward sex talk, drinking, drug mishaps and run-ins with police, all played for laughs rather than real danger; the violence is minor and slapstick-adjacent, and sexual content is frank but non-explicit. Its emotional core is two best friends slowly confronting that they are growing apart before they leave for different futures. It is for people who want R-rated teen comedy with heart, who enjoy scrappy, improvised-feeling jokes, and who don't need anything gentle or quiet.
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