Despite Some Good Jokes, Hulu’s Teen Comedy Is Only Mildly Funny

Prom is an age-old backdrop for teen comedies, with a new prom-centric movie releasing consistently around this time of year. The Kim O. Ngyuen-directed Prom Dates finds itself in the small yet growing subgenre of teen comedies, with girls taking the lead as they navigate the messy realities of relationships, sex and friendships. Prom Dates is if Booksmart and Blockers had a crass baby. While it succeeds at focusing on the teens more, the one problem the film has is, unlike Blockers, which splits its narrative with the parents, Prom Dates is not nearly as funny as it should be.

Prom Dates is a comedy about four high school friends facing the quintessential teenage dilemma: finding the perfect date for prom. As the big night approaches, they must leap through various hurdles, misunderstandings, and the social minefield of high school on their journey to the perfect evening.

Pros

• Julia Lester and Antonia Gentry have good chemistry
• Good pacing and entertaining

Cons

• The jokes are funny on paper, but not in execution

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ Julia Lester and Ginny & Georgia’s Antonia Gentry portray high school girls who are eager to have the ideal prom experience. However, their plans take an unexpected turn when they suddenly find themselves without dates the night before the big day. The race for prom dates turns into a night of wild and relatable teen shenanigans.

The film’s plot revolves around two girls, intelligent and capable but seemingly on the outs regarding the social structure at school. However, the film does not make any real effort to create an arbitrary ranking system at Hannah and Jess’ school or emphasize their social standing.

Prom Dates Is Laugh-Out-Loud Funny In Theory, But Not In Practice

Its comedic execution needs some work

Prom Dates has all the elements of the typical teen sex comedy, with its crass language and gross-out humor ideally intact. Personally, the film never rose to being laugh-out-loud funny, but the jokes are good on paper, at least. Conceptually, the film has amusing ideas, but the execution leaves much to be desired, and the actresses at the center don’t particularly have great comedic timing, though Lester makes out better than Gentry with her very blunt and matter-of-fact delivery of her comedic lines.

The film moves at a breakneck speed, which impacts the effectiveness of the jokes. They don’t have proper build-up or room to land. The ensemble cast is also lacking, with John Michael Higgins giving a very familiar performance, Chelsea Handler is a non-factor, and Jordan Buhat does not belong here as he skews much older (and it doesn’t help that we just saw his run as Vivek Shah in the college-set Grown-ish).

Prom Dates Has Entertaining Moments & Progressive Ideas

While there may be issues with the delivery of the humor, the movie does have a rather impressive progressive outlook on girl teenhood and is energetic. D.J. Mausner’s script comes across as material for stand-up and doesn’t settle into the film format. Still, the overall premise, the dialogue between the leads, and the projectile jokes that come flying at us every few minutes are engaging and humorous.

The movie moves at a good pace, with the story getting the characters in crisis mode within the first 10 minutes, and Prom Dates doesn’t let up until it concludes. It takes some expected turns here and there, but there are a few choices that are refreshing to see. Luckily for the movie, the leads have good chemistry. For what it’s worth, the movie is perfectly positioned for prom season, offering an entertaining story about two girls figuring out their priorities regarding friendship and love. And the conclusion is more than satisfactory.

Ultimately, Prom Dates is a good time. It’s entertaining, and there are a few chuckles to be had. One can appreciate the referential and situational humor as they are timely and apt for the characters. Lester and Gentry are a winning combo. The movie is paced nicely and ends on a note that feels right for these characters after the night they have. Sure, Prom Dates leaves a lot to be desired, and I wish it were funnier, but I can recognize that it will have its fans and succeed at what it sets out to do.