First Hit: The acting lifts this bizarre storyline to funny, engaging and entertaining levels.
Before seeing this film, I was hard pressed to think that it would be well acted and funny. Why? The first scene has a young seventeen-year-old girl giving oral sex to a police officer, then blackmailing him for money so that she can bail her father out of jail.
We learn that Erica (Zoey Deutch) has been doing this often because the bail is over $15,000. She has two friends, Kala (Dylan Gelula) and Claudine (Maya Eshet), that assist by videotaping the oral sex events. This is how they blackmail the offenders.
What makes it funny is the matter of fact, open, and deliberate way the engagements are talked about and happen.
Erica has an odd and permissive relationship with her mother Laurie (Kathryn Hahn). Laurie is desperate for a relationship and finds Dale (Eric Edelstein) who also has an overweight son Luke (Joey Morgan) about Erica’s age. However, Luke has been in rehab for over a year because of opiates.
When Luke gets out of the rehab he stays with Laurie, Dale, and Erica. He’s a sad soul and clearly troubled. Erica does her best to engage him including offering oral sex. "It's not like we're related" and "I'm an expert at oral sex." The way these lines are delivered are priceless.
What we discover is that Luke hides his feelings and emotions through eating and drugs because he indicates he was sexually assaulted by Will Jordan (Adam Scott) a grade school teacher.
Erica, Kala, Claudine and Luke set out to expose Will and in this way, get some revenge for Luke and blackmail Will for money that Erica can use to get her father out of jail.
When we get to the end, we find out the truth and the characters find out their own truth.
The events and the way this story unfolds is amusing and quirky. The characters are odd, believable, and fun.
Deutch is excellent. Her laissez faire yet intelligent approach to getting through her life was amazing. I loved watching her be this character on the screen. Morgan was wonderful as the young man attempting to do right at the detriment of his own health. Gelula and Eshet were perfect as the supportive friends. They wonderfully added to this comedic adventure. Hahn was wonderful and the supportive yet exasperated lonely mother. Edelstein was good as the new man in Laurie’s life. Scott was strong as the accused former teacher who loves bowling. Alex McAulay and Matt Spicer wrote a funny and engaging script. Max Winkler did a wonderful job of making this film work.
Overall: I was pleasantly surprised at the acting and the funny bits in this film.