Tatyana Kennedy

So, I never share my thoughts about films online because it’s self important when you’re not an established critic, I know. However this film outraged me enough that I just have publicize my opinion if I am to survive the cringe I’ve been afflicted with. Let me just get the obvious issue of casting a TikTok star, whose famous for lazily performing dance choreography developed by other creators, on the same platform, uncredited, in the lead role out of the way. It’s not fair to assume anyone who lacks acting experience cannot be an actor, as we see when some musicians are casted in films and successfully give life to their characters. But Addison is just not capable of adding nuance to her character, which requires access to ranges of vocal performance and most importantly facial expressions. She’s very one dimensional and unconvincing especially in conveying a message the she herself could likely benefit from learning, considering she shares a similar career with her character: Be yourself. Her actions and dialogue in this film, are very representative of the same tired and rudimentary tropes used to characterize gen-z in most modern films. Gen-z is self centered, phone obsessed, and desperate to set themselves apart from the crowd while simultaneously succumbing to universal practices of expression and rhetoric inspired by social media trends and commentary. While this may be true to an extent, we, like other generations are a bit more complex than that. And so those of us capable of abstract thought, find it bland, kind of embarrassing, and devoid of humor , despite its classification of “romantic comedy”. I would venture to say this film can only be viewed as comical in a satirical sense. Simply put, it feels lazy with the character who’s our gender swapped “outcast”, displaying the same behavior earlier described. It feels like Buchanan’s character’s whole personality is to contrast those who have assimilated into mainstream culture. The “I’m different” complex. It’s not working for me. The classic mean girl character was oversold but at least they had more depth than the lead. And the plot was painfully predictable, which I guess is expected for a remake however the plot should then attempt to address the social conflicts they brushed over, including social class division, sexism etc. The movie even attempts to be self aware using a character who’s clothing and expression are purposefully socially deviant, point out the rigidity of the practice of the Prom Court as a heteronormative construct, but then submits to that construct nonetheless with its lead characters. Do directors now a days think we are that easily entertained or are some of us actually that easily entertained. I don’t know but despite the shallowness and misogyny of this film’s predecessor, it still is way more interesting than what we have been recently served, and to say I’m disappointed is an understatement. Now I can’t blame the actors entirely, including Rae , for the poor execution as the script was rigid to say the least, but this film is no less infuriating.