That awkward moment when a 94-minute comedy ends and you didn’t laugh out loud more than a couple times. How can this title, from first-time writer/director Tim Gormican, not ask for some ridiculous critical pun?
This lackadaisical film follows three friends, Jason (Zac Efron – The Lucky One, Parkland), Daniel (Miles Teller – The Spectacular Now) and Mikey (Michael B. Jordan – Fruitvale Station) as they balance work, women, sex and friendship. The basic “plot” for the film is established after Mikey’s wife decides that she wants a divorce because she is sleeping with a lawyer. Mikey isn’t taking the break-up very well so the guys decide that they are all going to stay single, have fun and bond.
As the film quickly progresses each of the three friends end up creating bonds with women in their lives that end up complicating whatever pact to stay single they may have. Everything happens so fast in this film that you don’t really get a chance to understand why these people are so into each other.
That Awkward Moment hits every single rom-com cliché as it speeds through its plot but adds nothing new or fresh to the genre. The jokes are stale and cheap and the big ending is expected and unsurprising. The worst part about the film has to be Efron’s character, Jason. He is the main protagonist of the story but he is an emotionless, selfish asshole who is only out for him. All I can say, in order to avoid spoilers, is that Jason does something extremely awful to his love interest that makes the character irredeemable.
There are two things that worked best in this movie. The first being the chemistry between the three leads. Efron, Jordan, and Teller all give dedicated performances and their chemistry is natural, which allows for a good group dynamic. If it weren’t for these three actors the film would be difficult to get through. The second element to be praised is the relationship between Teller’s character Daniel and his good friend Chelsea. There is no denying their chemistry, which makes you wish they were the main focus of the narrative.
That Awkward Moment is not a film that anyone will be talking about in five days let alone five years. Rising stars Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller will brush this forgettable film under the rug and anyone contemplating seeing this film should do the same. Awkward.
4/10
