Even as a college student, this is a movie you might want to think twice about watching with your parents.
Not following my own advice, I decided to watch it with my father…From the vulgarity to the touchy subjects of growing up, this movie definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. But if you enjoy raunchy humor, look no further than “Superbad.”
Ethan Holesha
Managing Editor
“Superbad” is a comedy/teen movie that was released on Aug 17, 2007. It is available free with a Netflix or Hulu subscription, or for a small rental fee on other platforms.
With Judd Apatow on production and Seth Rogen as a main writer, it’s clear from the start this movie has potential. The main characters, Seth and Evan, are played by Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, respectively, and this turned out to be Hill’s breakout role. Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, and Emma Stone round out the star-studded cast.
The premise follows two high school best friends trying to provide alcohol to a party with all of the cool kids to impress their crushes. Sounds like a pretty smooth plan, right?
Well, not exactly. Everything you think could possibly go wrong does–and more.
Our two main characters, Seth and Evan, have two weeks left before they graduate. They have always planned on going to the same college together, but Seth didn’t make it into Dartmouth, so they want to make the most of their last summer together. They’ve never been to a big party before, so they do all that they can to make sure they’re leaving high school with a bang.
Now we get introduced to Fogell, the even more nerdy high school kid who thinks he’s hot stuff. He tries to show off his fake ID to Seth and Evan, but there’s a slight issue.
The name he has decided to pick is McLovin. Yes, McLovin.
After conflicts with the cops, escaping a sketchy party, and almost ruining their friendship, the boys manage to pull off their mission, but the path to success is far from easy.
The whole build up of the movie is ridiculously perfect. Hill and Cera play their roles to a T. Seth acts like he’s a player while Evan is the shy, geeky kid who’s overly nice to the girl he has the hots for. It provides a nice contrast of personalities to have together as two best friends, and the roles could not be better cast with Hill and Cera.
Having Hader and Rogen play the irresponsible cops was a fantastic touch for the story line; it allowed the audience to have two highly entertaining situations to pay attention to simultaneously.
My favorite aspect of the film is how seriously these characters take the situation. When you think about it, it really shouldn’t be that big of a deal if they aren’t able to obtain the alcohol. However, the main characters make it seem like a life-or-death situation, allowing the audience to be completely invested and dragged along for the crazy ride.
This movie is beyond silly, but in a professional way. It isn’t tacky or corny in the slightest bit and it has some of the best one-liners I’ve ever heard in a comedy. You never know what the next scene is going to bring, which makes the adventure that much more fun and adds to the beauty of this film.
“Superbad” is in my top three comedies of all time, along with “The Hangover” and “Step Brothers.” From the casting to the writing, this movie is set up perfectly. It is a flawless comedy, which is why I would give it five out of five stars.