8 Reasons Why “Blockers”

is the R-rated Comedy

You Didn’t Know You Needed

By Macky Macarayan

Comedy comes in many forms, but “Blockers,” the directorial debut of Kay Cannon (who wrote the “Pitch Perfect” films), is a film that manages to be endearing despite its profanity-laced script (we’re not complaining!) John Cena, Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz play a trio of parents out to stop their teenage daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. You think you’ve already seen this kind of film? Think again.

Gender swapping

Remember films like “American Pie,” “Road Trip” and “Superbad” which focused on the sexual awakening of its male characters? Well, “Blockers” reverses the scenario, placing the subject of virginity under the lens of gender equality. Puberty hits both boys and girls, so why should boys have all the fun? More importantly, why aren’t there more coming-of-age films about women? We’d like to believe that “Blockers” is a start.

John Cena

Sure, John Cena really was a terrific wrestler during his WWE days, but who knew that he could really make it big in comedy? We already saw him for a bit opposite Amy Schumer in “Trainwreck,” but here he plays the main character, taking the opportunity to show that he can solidly deliver a punchline but also tackle anyone who messes around with his daughter.

Diversity

In the movie, Mitchell (Cena) is married to an Indian-American doctor, Marcie (Sarayu Blue), hence their daughter Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) is half-Indian. Meanwhile, Brenda (June Diane Raphael), Sam’s (Gideon Adlon) mother is married to Frank (Hannibal Buress), an African-American, and therefore Sam’s stepfather. Not once has the subject of race been brought up in the entire film, and both Marcie and Frank are treated as normal characters, not having to defend their existence or be relegated as placeholders.

Emojis

Teenagers often have clever ways of communicating with each other under the noses of adults. Here, the three girls talk via emojis, which their parents eventually found out about. The whole scene where the parents try to decipher the emoji convo is like “The Imitation Game,” but for millennials.

Sex jokes

Of course, people go to R-rated comedies for the sex jokes, and the best R-rated comedies often have memorable sex jokes, like Jason Biggs and his mom’s freshly-baked pie in “American Pie,” or LeBron James saying “sexual intercourse” in the middle of brunch in “Trainwreck.” Take your pick of sex jokes in “Blockers,” because there are plenty: John Cena’s butt chug, John Cena awkwardly locking eyes with Gary Cole as the latter is having sex with his wife, or you know, that post-credits with John Cena. (We told you, John Cena is killing it in this movie.)

Parents take the spotlight

Parents in teen sex comedies often remain in the background, but here they take the centerstage, their stories running parallel to their daughters’ hijinks. By focusing on Mitchell, Lisa (Mann) and Hunter (Barinholtz), we get to discover their personalities, which eventually mirror the common fears of modern-day parents. The film could have very well been retitled “The Parents Are Not All Right.” Just ask Lisa who got mildly electrocuted in a hotel room trying to hide from her daughter.

The script challenges conventions

Although the film mostly follows the parents’ journey to block their daughters’ #Sexpact2018, the voice of the story actually comes from the teenagers. Perhaps it’s a shoutout to parents that while love and guidance are essential, kids need space, trust and empowerment too. From the premise, it seems like it would be three girls out to have sex for the first time, but like Luke Skywalker said, “this is not going to go the way you think.”

A very big heart

Despite the raunchiness and the rollercoaster insanity, “Blockers” offers some valuable wisdom as to why parents have anxiety when their kids go out partying, or why kids rebel against their parents. Kudos to Ike Barinholtz for nailing that heartfelt monologue about Hunter’s lost chances with his daughter. After all, everybody deserves a second chance.

Have you seen the movie? Tell us what you think about it below!