No Hard Feelings: A Spoiler-Filled Discussion
***As the title would suggest, full spoilers for No Hard Feelings follow***
The R-rated raunchy comedy has not had a successful run in the theatrical space in a long time. This is not because they're bombing repeatedly, it's because they aren't being given the same chance they were in the past. With No Hard Feelings, Sony gives these movies a chance, and the movie mostly works.
What Worked
The comedy works more often than it doesn't, especially some of the cringier aspects. The chemistry between Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) and Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) is fantastic and the way the dynamic shifts between the two makes for a unique experience when it comes to comedies.
The other aspect that really works for the movie is taking a somewhat unpalatable premise and making it work. The age difference between Maddie and Percy is uncomfortable which is compounded by the fact that Percy's parents ended up hiring her in the first place but the movie never portrays this as a positive for anyone. Percy is visibly uncomfortable with Maddie's advances, Maddie is only doing it for purely financial reasons, the parents are not thrilled by the arrangement but think it's necessary before Percy goes to college. No person in the movie is portrayed positively and Percy is portrayed as a victim through most of it which really helps to accentuate how strange every aspect of the premise is.
What Didn't Work
The biggest issue with the movie is sort of systemic from the beginning to the end of the script in that it comes from a fundamental narrative issue. The overall story for the film does not do anything new or unique and is honestly a little predictable by the time the film reaches its end. Relatively early on, there is a line where Percy explains that he is not just looking for a hook up, he is looking for emotional connection, and that does explain exactly where the movie is going to go from there on and exposes what will be the catalyst for the issue in the back half of the movie.
On top of this, the second half of the movie transitions from raunchy comedy to rom-com, which is fine but the first half of the movie doesn't set up the obligatory character development that is the resolution of the plot. When Maddie makes the decisions she does in the third act, aside from one scene early on, the core character flaws she's addressing there are not mentioned enough to make her transition that comes as a result of the relationship between her and Percy feel earned. Had that part of the plot been threaded a little more clearly, especially since it turns out the letter she sent her father was returned because it was undeliverable, not because her father sent it back, it would have made her decision to leave a little better.
How You Should Watch This Movie
The film is amusing enough to warrant a theatrical viewing experience, however there isn't that much depth to the story where one should rush out to see it as soon as possible. A theatrical experience does benefit because it can get the viewer through a reasonably slow first act without turning it off before it gets to the good part.
★★★★
