For years, moviegoers have been asking a fundamental question: Where did romantic comedies go? During the early 2000s, romantic comedies were everywhere! Classics such as 27 Dresses and Legally Blonde have surpassed the test of time and have become universally loved movies for years and years. But in more recent years, the movie industry has been more focused on blockbusters, superhero movies and Oscar-winning style dramas to give a proper try into bringing romantic comedies back. But this is about to end because No Hard Feelings is not just a romantic comedy. No, it’s its raunchy cousin: sex comedy!
It takes work to make a good R-rated comedy movie. And in a past #MeToo world, the old style of objectifying women and calling it a day will not pass any more. Writers, directors and actors must navigate many societal rules of what is accepted and what is a red line not to be crossed and find the perfect balance between the two. But if they succeed, the world can be blessed with the greatest comedy movies ever!
Will No Hard Feelings balance this tricky equation and open the doors to more R-rated comedies? That’s what we will discover on 23 June when the movie comes out in theatres worldwide. Let’s see what No Hard Feelings is about and what the audience can expect from this summer‘s hottest comedy.
What are Those Feelings About?
How far would you go for a new car? Maddie, an Uber driver without a car, as far as she needs to. Maddie, a young Uber driver whose car got repossessed, is desperate for a new car before she becomes 100% broke. She does the obvious thing and searches Craigslist for a new gig. The gig she stumbles on is a bit weird, but for Maddie, it will do.
A pair of wealthy parents from New York are looking for someone to show their 19-year-old son some “good time”. Their son, Percy, is starting college soon but is showing no interest in girls, sex or any kind of rowdy fun and his parents -being the responsible parents that they are- cannot let that pass. Their solution? Hire a sexy woman in her late twenties to teach their son how to have fun in return for a brand-new car.
Interestingly, No Hard Feelings was inspired by a Craigslist ad that director Gene Stupnitsky found one day. He immediately thought of Jennifer Lawrence, and when he showed her the script years later, she just loved it and said she was in!
Filled with the classic “Can I touch your wiener?” jokes, No Hard Feelings goes pretty hard on pure sexy comedy, which was just from the trailer! Moviegoers miss laughing out loud at an adult film, and everyone hopes this movie will finally bring sexy comedy back.
Can No Hard Feelings Bring Comedy Back?
That is a pretty big statement, but if we are honest, only a few purely comedy movies have been made lately, especially for theatrical release. Hollywood has gotten used to making hundreds of millions of dollars from every film released in theatre. It’s either a significant hit or a deadly flop; there is no in-between anymore.
Most comedy movies that get made go straight to streaming platforms. Although it might be argued that streaming media are more accessible to people than movie theatres, they tend to bury movies. It’s hard to make a straight-to-streaming movie that can break through the noise of the hundreds of things that get released on streaming every month. For most comedy movies made for streaming, the producers, the writer, and sometimes even the actors are not taking their project seriously as it is “just” a streaming movie.
The producers of No Hard Feelings said that although it can be a considerable risk to release a comedy movie in theatres nowadays, they felt like their film deserves to be seen on the big screen. Big loud laughs should be shared with as many people as possible, and audiences need to relearn to enjoy movies that are not blockbusters.
No Hard Feelings decided to go hard on the comedy. Think about Emma Stone‘s PG-13-rated Easy A, then up that level to a rowdy R-rated comedy!
Who’s Playing Who?
We have an Oscar winner, a Harvard undergrad leading this raunchy comedy, and multiple other super funny actors that just nail the art of landing a perfect joke. So without further ado, let’s introduce our hilarious cast.
Jennifer Lawrence
You know the young women we talked about who took a job seducing a 19-year-old in return for a car? Yes, that one! Well, this character is played by no other than Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence.
Jennifer Lawrence, or Jen-Law if I may, is an American actress who rose to fame as Katniss Everdeen in the highly successful dystopian book adaptation, The Hunger Games (2012-2015). She also portrayed the mutant Mystic in the X-men film series from 2011 to 2019. As a result, Jennifer is no stranger to highly successful blockbusters, be it book adaptations or superhero movies. With that in mind, it must be noted that Jennifer’s award-winning roles have been in films such as Silver Lining Playbook (2012), American Hustle (2013) and Joy (2015). Each movie earned Lawrence a Golden Globe Award and her Silver Linings Playbook Oscar.
Even though No Hard Feelings will be Jennifer’s first-ever outright comedy movie, most of her past film -no matter how sad or dark- has comedic antidots highlighting Jennifer as a hilarious actress with perfect comedic timing. In an interview, Jennifer mentioned that she was taking a break from acting until she was offered the No Hard Feelings script and just knew this was the project she wanted to do next: a laugh-out-loud comedy.
Andrew Barth Feldman
Remember the 19-year-old who is going to get seduced? That would be Percy, played by the highly talented Andrew Barth Feldman. Born in 2002, Andrew is an American actor and singer who began his career back in school.
Andrew took part in various school plays throughout his time as a student. He even won a Jimmy Award for his high school production of Catch Me If You Can in 2018. In 2019, Andrew took on the title role in the Broadway hit musical Dear Evan Hansen. His portrayal of Evan Hansen received much positive feedback from theatre critics, including New York Times’ Sarah Bahr, who said that his performance so enthralled her, she forgot to take a breath during the entire first act.
Jennifer Lawrence called Andrew to let him know he was chosen to play Percy in her upcoming movie, No Hard Feelings. Andrew had to pause his studies at Harvard to take on the role.
Matthew Broderick & Laura Benanti
This year’s model parents award goes to Laird and Allison, played by Matthew Broderick & Laura Benanti. No parent would trust a stranger to take their 19-year-old son on an adventure to discover how “fun” the world can be. Laird and Allison are those parents, though.
Matthew Broderick, who pays Percy’s dad, Laird, is an American actor whose most iconic role is voicing Simba in Disney’s The Lion King (1994). He went on to have a successful Broadway career and won two Tony Awards for his roles in Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983) and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1995). Broderick’s successful Hollywood career earned him a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2009 and induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame.
Laura Benanti plays Percy’s mom, Allison, a Tony Award-winning actress and singer. Benanti has a very successful Broadway career, including roles in The Sound of Music (1998) and Into the Woods (2002). The latter earned her a Tony nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Cinderella. After a brutal injury and a break from Broadway, Benanti made a strong comeback with another Tony Award-nominated role in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (2010).
With a star-studded cast and a dedicated director, No Hard Feelings might be the comedy movie we are all waiting for.
What to Expect From No Hard Feelings?
Laughs, lots and lots of laughs. In late April, a clip from the film was released to theatres owners at CinemaCon, and oh boy, was the laughing loud! That was the film’s first-ever clip to be released to the public, and the positive reaction made everyone who saw it super excited to see the movie.
This film might be Jennifer Lawrence’s first comedy movie, but if we know anything from her interviews and spontaneous red-carpet moments, it will be that Jen-Law is effortlessly funny. She knows how to draw laughter and deliver jokes with perfect timing. Her free spirit and sometimes unfiltered opinions will suit the soul of an R-rated sexy comedy.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some questions other interested people like you asked about No Hard Feelings. If you want to learn more about the movie, you might find some answers below!
What is the plot of No Hard Feelings?
Simply it’s a movie about a young woman who needs some cash, so she takes a job on Craigslist to seduce a 19-year-old boy into having some “fun” before he’s off to college.
Is No Hard Feelings based on a true story?
No Hard Feelings is based on a Craigslist ad that director Gene Stupnitsky saw one day by pure chance. He thought it was hilarious to hire a woman to seduce his son and was inspired to make it into a movie.
Where can I watch No Hard Feelings 2023?
You can watch No Hard Feelings in movie theatres on 23 June 2023. Contact your local theatres for exact dates and if they offer pre-sale tickets.
Where do No Hard Feelings take place?
The events of No Hard Feelings occur in Montauk, New York, where Maddie and Percy live. If you would like to read more about the movie’s location and where it was shot, check out this article!
If you’re looking for a good laugh or a fun movie to watch with your friends, make sure you check out No Hard Feelings when it’s out in theatres everywhere on 23 June 2023.