Superbad is a 2007 comedy film directed by Greg Mottola and written by Seth Rogen with Evan Goldberg. Produced by the famed comedy specialist Judd Apatow, this teen coming-of-age drama was a scene setter for many other films to come. Starring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera in titular roles, the film explores the various aspects of an American high-school teen’s life, their struggles through puberty and achievements in an otherwise insignificant lifestyle.
The movie turned out to be an overnight critical and financial hit, with its journey into a cult classic not much later. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Emma Stone and Martha Maclssac play supporting roles.
Seth (Hill) and Evan (Cera) are childhood best friends, presently en route to finishing high school and entering college apart from each other. They have typically been outcasts and were still immature in their attractions and interests.
When Seth’s crush Jules (Stone) invites him over to a party she was hosting, she asks him to get alcohol for it. Seth and Evans’ other friend Fogell contacts a fake ID, and they recruit him to buy alcohol for the party. The plot unwinds when Fogell goes to buy alcohol at the departmental store, where incidents unravel and lead to trouble.
The first point of interest that Superbad leads us on is the flawless portrayal of teenagers by Hill, Cera and Mintz. They nail their characters with consistency, in equal humor and seriousness. We understand the complexity of living their lives through them, and although is nowhere relatable in the Indian scenario, gives us a taste of high school culture.
The dialogues are simply marvelous in their writing and execution. Rogen and Goldberg have since collaborated in other excellent films such as Pineapple Express, The Interview and This is the End. The timing of every joke hits the spot, and the direction carries the intensity that is required through the course of Superbad.
Why watch Superbad?
You should check out the movie simply because it explores the notion of what is good and what is bad. Bad here is the millennial version of the word, and we see how the characters try to live up to it in every frame of the movie. Superbad exceeds expectations, has a few explicit scenes of drug use and sexual content [discretion is advised], but is worth every second spent watching it. Try this type of humor, raw and dry, because it can get you cracked up and running. If this isn’t what you were looking for, check out our review on medieval fantasy drama The Green Knight, or for the horror enthusiasts, The Fear Street Trilogy is right here.
