the australian rebel wilson She was one of the most popular comic actresses in Hollywood during the past decade. The ‘Giving the note’ franchise was decisive for this, but we could also see it in titles like ‘Bachelorette party’‘Better… single’, ‘Counterintelligence agent’ or ‘Compulsive fraudsters’.
Now Wilson returns with ‘Vuelta al insti’, his first film since 2019 in which he also shows off a remarkable physical change as a result of his weight loss. What doesn’t change is his way of approaching humor in a high school comedy for Netflix that offers just enough to not get bored with its viewing.
Just enough not to bore
Without a doubt, the most striking aspect of ‘Back to High School’ is its premise, since it proposes that a young woman who is in her last year of high school suffers an accident during a cheerleading number, entering a coma, from which doesn’t wake up until 20 years later. Everything has changed, except for her, who is still acting like a teenager and trying to pick up where she left off.
If the premise can make us think of the series ‘7 lives’ and what happened with the character of Toni Cantó, what really interests ‘Back to school’ is an approach closer to that of romantic comedies focused on adolescent audiences such as ‘I have never been kissed’‘Mean girls’ or ‘Clueless (Out of wave)’, to mention just a few titles.
Of course, ‘Vuelta al insti’ offers its best moments when it moves away from that and takes advantage of the contrast between the fashions of twenty years ago and the current ones. That’s where we find the closest thing to a certain personality for this feature film directed by alex hardcastleeither due to details added to some scenes to explore the contrast between one era and another or when the story simply stops to focus on it, as in that tribute to a certain video clip of Britney Spears.
It also works quite well that boot in which Angourice Rice brings to life a young version of Wilson’s character. It’s not that it deviates from what one expects to happen, but the great discovery of ‘Two Good Guys’ gives the film the necessary spark to hope that the film will be, at least, a great hobby.
gave for more
Unfortunately, the script signed by Andrew Knauer, Arthur Pielli Brandon, and Scott Jones ends up betting on complicating just enough and going easy. Some joke about the woke world we live in is funny, but ‘Back to School’ soon loses its spark and entrusts everything to how inspired Wilson may be by elevating material that is too conventional, and it’s not that it’s especially inspired either.
There I already told you that we found no surprise when it comes to approaching the character of Stephanie. I do find it a bit funny in a controlled ecosystem and ‘Back to school’ is a film that seems designed for personal brilliance, while the rest of the characters are mere pawns for the inevitable final moral.
That leads to ‘Back to school’ being predictable at all levels, but we can say that about countless titles that manage to transcend that limitation and make us vibrate. This week’s big Netflix premiere doesn’t do it, but it does offer enough that you don’t feel like you’ve wasted your time watching it. Be careful, if you have an “allergy” to this type of film, don’t go near it.
In short
‘Back to school’ is a perfect example of a passable movie, capable of making you smile and even cause a laugh, but at the moment of truth it does not strive to be more than a comfortable and easy-to-see version of what it could have been. All in all, Netflix has released quite a few worse original movies this year, but also a few much better ones.