Blockers

A trio of deranged parents (Leslie Mann, John Cena and Ike Barinholtz) discovers a pact by their three daughters to lose their virginity on prom night, so they stalk them on their special evening. This sounds like the basis for a crap movie but, as things turn out, it results in what will surely stand as one of the year’s funniest movies. Directed by Kay Cannon, the movie pushes the boundaries for sure, pouring it on thick with the profanity—very funny profanity—and frank talk about high school seniors treading into sexual activity (not to mention drug experimentation and drinking). It handles its subjects in a surprisingly mature and even sweet way in the end, with the teenaged daughters (Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan and Gideon Adlon) having their acts together far more than their bumbling parents. The always reliable Mann gets a chance to really shine here; she is one of the best comic actresses in the game. Barinholtz gets a lot of laughs as the movie’s most messed-up character, while Cena continues to prove that he has the comic chops to hold his own with some of the best. This is one of those rare comedies that gets consistent laughter from the opening scene until its ending.