No Hard Feelings | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

 

Billed as a super raunchy, R-rated comedy, No Hard Feelings isn’t nearly as raunchy or funny as it could’ve been. However, despite falling short of its comedic potential, the movie delivers some great laugh out loud moments, and a handful of surprisingly sweet ones too. 

Jennifer Lawrence clearly understood the assignment, delivering a performance that is equal parts sexual, vulgar and vulnerable. Being such an established and high profile actress, there are some places she’s willing to go with her performance (especially physically) that really shocked and impressed me. Andrew Barth Feldman plays awkwardly against her crass personality, making for an unlikely, but kind of cute duo.

Although they work well together on screen, the progression of their relationship is not all that convincing. Their developing feelings and changes of heart mostly feel forced in service of the predictable direction the plot is heading. Sure, the situational conflicts provide laughs in the moment, but don’t always fit organically into the progression of their relationship. We’ve seen variations of this story countless times before, and this version brings nothing new or surprising to the table. 

Good R-rated comedies are somewhat of a rarity these days. No Hard Feelings doesn’t take full advantage of its raunchy potential, but a strong J-Law performance paired with solid laughs and a little bit of heart are enough for me to recommend watching. 

3/5

Review by: Benjamin Garrett

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