There are a lot of laughs to be had in Prom Dates, most of them coming from the funny and actualized characterization of Hannah, the lead’s queer best friend. But everything else about this coming-of-age film feels too familiar and forced to be memorable. Despite leading the film, Jess feels like a hollow copy-paste version of all the delusional, ambitious leads in teen films like Booksmart, Superbad, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, except there’s nothing particularly insightful or likable about her. She comes across as the annoying classmate you know too much about, against your own will. Events unfold in more or less predictable ways, though it’s not hard to imagine that the film could be elevated by a more robust cast. As it is, Prom Dates is a fleeting, forgettable entry in an already stacked genre.
Synopsis
Jess and Hannah, who made a pact at 13 to have the perfect senior prom. Despite the impending changes that college will bring over the next four years, the two are committed to honoring their prom pact. But with only 24 hours left before the big event, everything falls apart when they break up with each of their dates. Jess and Hannah are left with one night to find new dates and live out their middle-school fantasies.
Storyline
After losing their dates the night before prom, best friends Jess (Antonia Gentry) and Hannah (Julia Lester) set out on a wild night of parties and misadventures in search of the right partner.
TLDR
Julia Lester is hilarious, but everything and everyone else just made me want to rewatch Booksmart.
What stands out
It bears repeating: Lester is a star. You know how, in his early years of acting, Jonah Hill would just steal every scene in his with his visceral, physical humor? Lester reminds me so much of that.