Summary
Horny high school teenage friends, who talk to their genitals, try to navigate love, sex, and relationships in this hot comedy.
Here is our review of the 2023 Netflix film Hard Feelings, which does not contain significant spoilers.
Hard Feelings is a German comedy movie directed by Granz Henman, starring Axel Stein and Diana Amft. It tells the story of two best friends trying to make it through high school while navigating with their hormones, now being horny teenagers and dealing with embarrassing new urges, especially when they have awkward new feelings for one another.
Netflix has been investing a lot of money in producing European films, we’ve seen more content from French, Spanish, and Polish films, and here we have a German comedy. The premise resembles films like Superbad, Project X, and 21 & Over.
However, in this film, the two protagonists develop feelings for one another.
Hard Feelings (2023) Review and Plot Summary
The cast includes Axel Stein, Diana Amft, Cosima Henman, and Tobias Schäfer, who all give great performances. They have good chemistry between characters and expressive, and at times hilarious, facial expressions. I think the voice-over artists need some credit as sometimes they can be bland and not help the comedy and narrative, but not in this film.
The storyline is the classic trope of two late-bloomer virgins trying to navigate high school with their strong sexual urges. The film is current, with the lead being sent unsolicited dick pics, then having videos going viral on social media, and parents being on dating apps.
Think of Big Mouth; in this film, when their sexual urges come into full force, Charly and Paula end up talking to their genitals, and their genitals talk back. It’s filthy and funny, making their lives awkward and a living nightmare. Their names on the subtitles are “Willy” and “Hoo-ha,” which really tickled me watching.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two friends. Both of them embraced themselves while having a friendship that might turn into something more, but innocently, awkwardly, and with mutual respect.
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Obviously, it doesn’t go as smoothly as they’d like. As both don’t dare make a move on one another, they end up being pushed in other directions. As Charly becomes a viral sensation, the popular girls can’t get enough of him, and he has two girls fighting over him.
At the same time, Paula is seen in a sex shop; she gains a reputation as a “slutbag”, and now the hottest guy in school takes a fancy to her. As both invest in these new-found lovers, at the party, will things go as planned? Obviously not.
With a sweet and still funny ending, this film is one to watch as it’s up there with other coming-of-age classics, and I can see if it has some longevity.
Is the 2023 Netflix film Hard Feelings Good or Bad?
Overall, I think this film is a good watch. There were parts where I really did laugh out loud, so that’s a win for me.
The storyline is easy to follow and understand, and it uses classic comedy tropes, but there is a fresh originality about the film, which makes it stand out from other similar comedies.
Is Hard Feelings Worth Watching?
With a runtime of one hour and forty-five minutes, this film is well worth watching. It’s got an incredible pace, filled with many comedic scenarios and jokes. If you’re into your teenage rom-coms, this film is for you.
If not, you might find it a bit pointless and weird. With sexual references, swearing, and hot scenes, this film is unsuitable for children.
What did you think of the 2023 Netflix film Hard Feelings? Comment below.
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