Subscribe
Follow Us
Leave it to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Dave Chernin and John Chernin to pull off the reverse Booksmart with the Netflix movie Incoming. It pairs the irreverent humor of Olivia Wilde's directorial debut with the filter of having younger kids spewing out NSFW lines like Good Boys. Mason Thames (The Black Phone) leads a hilarious ensemble piece.
Incoming appears to be your run-of-the-mill high school comedy, but it packs an unexpected emotional punch. It is a movie about your friend group growing up above all else. Some change due to peer pressure, while others are lovestruck at first sight.
And, ultimately, Incoming does not take any easy ways out. All of the characters have moments where they are charming and jerks.
That is not to say the movie is not funny. There are some genuinely hilarious bits ranging from cringe humor to gross-out that got a genuine laugh out of me.
It could have been easy for something like Incoming to phone it in. Somehow, someway, it finds a way to be far more touching than it has any right being.
Incoming review
Incoming follows a group of friends led by Benj (Mason Thames). His friend group consists of Connor (Raphael Alejandro), who is soon to be renamed “Fetus” for his small stature, Koosh (Bardia Seiri), and Eddie (Ramon Reed).
They are all looking to make an impression as they enter high school. Luckily, they have an easy solution: Koosh's brother is throwing a rager party. So, the four boys want to turn into men via this party, each having a different objective.
Benj is infatuated with one of his sister's best friends, Bailey (Isabella Ferreira); Koosh is attempting to prove himself to his brother; Fetus wants to lose his nickname; and Eddie is just trying to not get killed at his first party. Together, they have a night that they will never forget.
It is refreshing that the Chernin brothers did not completely succumb to the genre tropes. The guys aren't in a competition to see who can get laid first or anything like that. Yes, Benj wants to make a move on Bailey, and Koosh attempts to seduce a girl, but Incoming tackles it from an innocent, almost immature lens.
The reverse Booksmart
In Olivia Wilde's Booksmart, Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) have an After Hours-like night before graduation trying to get to their first party. They spent most of their high school career with their noses in books. Now, they want to let loose.
The friend group in Incoming faces the opposite problem. The party seen in the movie is likely the first of many. Though the two sets of characters still share some of the same emotions.
The anxiety Benj feels when he does not know anyone at the party is just as relatable as his super awkward first kiss. Thames is the standout, thanks to his earnest performance. If this is the type of work he does in the How to Train Your Dragon live-action movie, maybe the remake is not DOA.
Seiri and Reed go on a side mission, which steals the show in Incoming. The diarrhea scene is not for those with a weak stomach. But if you can get over that, they arguably have the best bits in the entire movie.
Tackling both sides of childhood and adulthood
On the flip side of childhood is adulthood. Bobby Cannavale plays Mr. Studebaker, a man who shelves emotions from his personal life the second he is on campus. He is proof that you never know what someone is going through.
This is the last Booksmart reference, but like Miss Fine (Jessica Williams), Mr. Studebaker is invited to the party. His presence makes for funny moments. But beneath his outer layer is a tragic character.
Stuff happens to adults — there is always another bill to pay or a relationship that ends. Despite this, teenagers are going to be worried about their pimples that need to be popped or their crushes.
It was smart of the Chernin brothers to address this in Incoming. Not even Booksmart addresses the adult characters in this way. Instead, you see that Miss Fine (and even Principal Brown) are desperate to recreate their high school days. Mr. Studebaker is not one of those sad figures who peaked as a teenager.
Should you watch Incoming?
Incoming is a great coming-of-age high school movie largely because it is genuinely funny. It does have some of the overly polished Netflix shine, but it also is not afraid to get dirty.
Mason Thames, best known for his role in The Black Phone, carries Incoming. He plays Benj with a sensitivity that pushes the movie past its premise.
As for Dave Chernin and John Chernin, they have a successful directorial debut with Incoming. They also co-wrote the script, which is hilarious, and deserve credit for that.
Incoming is the perfect streaming movie — harmless 90-minute fun — that almost begs the question of why comedies like these aren't made for theaters anymore.
Grade: B
Incoming will be released on Netflix on August 23.
