User reviews

As "Plan B" (2021 release; 107 min) opens, we get to know BFFs Sunny and Lupe, both HS juniors or seniors somewhere in South Dakota. Sunny has a crush on Hunter. Lupe talks Sunny into throwing a party at her house as her mom is out of town at a conference. At the party, things quickly go out of control... At this point we are 10 min into the film.

Couple of comments: this is the directing debut of Natalie Morales (best known for roles in various TV series). And what a debut it is! First and foremost, this is both a comedy and a road trip movie, and it is often hilarious and rip-roaring. Much of the credit for that must go to the two lead performers, Kuhoo Verma (as Sunny) and Victoria Moroles (as Lupe). Their on-screen chemistry is undeniable, and it's just a joy to see them. That said, the movie is also poignant and sad, as the underlying reminder is how women's health care is already hard to come by (if at all) in large stretches of this country. And that is before a possible Supreme Court decision later this year whether to hollow out or simply overturn Roe v Wade altogether. Yea, this is what this country has come to: first an attempted coup d'etat by the worst president this country has ever seen, simply because he didn't like the results of the presidential election; now a potential turnover of what has been the well-established law of the land for half a century, all to appease a fanatic religious minority in this country. What's next? New voter restrictions? Oh, wait...

"Plan B" was released on Hulu in May, 2021. I only recently became aware of this film, when I saw it mentioned in NPR's "best movies of 2021" list. So glad I found out about it. If you are in the mood for a funny and outrageous comedy that has an undeniable political undertone, I'd readily suggest you check this out on Hulu or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

It wasn't as funny for a comedy as I expected, but it was well directed, and casting and performances were decent, and the two leads had realistic chemistry. The writing had some plot and technical issues, and the 107 runtime needed to be trimmed down to at most 90 mins. Otherwise a decent one-time watch.

Totally what 'Book Smart' wished it was. If you're looking for something like that, watch this.

Great teen movie - Absolutely perfect for the completely out-of-touch upper Midwest. Beautiful and touching.

Not as raunchy as Superbad, witty as Booksmart or silly as Harold and Kumar, but Plan B is a more understated more sweet than bitter movie about 2 high school friends, Sunny and Lupe, who go on an overnight road trip to find the Plan B pill in a neighboring town. The humor is drawn from the women trying to navigate through, the silliness of high school life, the everyday of South Dakota and being women of color - the movie isn't about race at all but it is an important fabric of their background and journey. Enjoy the movie like a walk to get some ice creme with your best friend. You probably won't post about it on social media but still a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

The "plan B," so to speak, to this teenage (or twenty-somethings playing teenagers, rather) buddy-party flick would be a road trip movie, including a bit more partying. We've seen it before: "Superbad" (2007) and "Booksmart" (2019) meets, say, a less depressing "Never Rarely Sometimes Always" (2020), or even the stoners-instead-of-teenagers "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" (2004), except instead of the buddies hitting the road in search of a laxative in the shape of tiny fast-food burgers, they're after the morning-after pill. The joke being, I guess, that the obvious answer of a pharmacy was staring them in the face all along. Kids, huh, making the simplest tasks into life-affirming adventures. To their credit, these ones do try a pharmacy first, but are unwilling to discuss sex with their parents so as to get an obstinate clerk--I mean pharmacist--to fork over the drug. Or, maybe try another pharmacy.... But, I suppose this is a commentary on particularly American sexual hangups and how contraception gets tied up in the country with abortion, Planned Parenthood and evangelical-political moralizing.

Graciously, "Plan B" isn't as obtuse as it could've been in regards to its obvious socio-political commentary, although there are a few politically-correct or straw-man racial jokes that land with a thud. A fellow student, for instance, who remarks with surprise that one of the girls' homes doesn't smell like curry. Later, there's the tired trope of rapacious men cornering them, and they also employ food-based racism, as well as misogyny. During one of the parties, too, one of the girls quips about how something must be how white privilege feels. Fortunately, most of the comedy is better than that. There's even some relatively-graphic humor involving what I assume was a prosthetic penis. Good, because these type of movies are insufferable if they're rated anything less than the MPAA's R, or the TV-slash-streaming-on-Hulu equivalent of TV-MA.

Compared to that other girl-buddy flick "Booksmart," "Plan B" isn't quite as well filmed. None of the drug-induced fantasy sequences. The musical cues and underwater cinematography in the party scenes regarding the lesbian friend in that one is more impressive filmmaking than anything seen here. A similar plotline is included here, too, but it doesn't quite fit as well into the general theme of sexual repression as I assume it was intended to. It's derivative otherwise, as well. On the other hand, at least the kids in this one don't appear to be condescending rich brats as in "Booksmart." So, there's that, and it's passably amusing.

Also, there's a good joke from Andy the drug dealer regarding his also supposedly being 17, but his skin being affected by his lack of water. Of course, the actor being really closer to 30 than 17.

This film definitely has something to say, and it says it pretty early on. Two best friends, Sunny and Lupe, are 17 year old high school students raised in strict households. Sunny's south Asian mother plays this culture's archetypal overbearing parent who wants her daughter to be perfect at everything, and Sunny's personality and insecurities reflect her fear of falling short, as she complies with her mother's kind, but firm, commands to always be better and not take little mistakes for granted. Her best pal Lupe rebels against her strict Hispanic father, but the writing gently lays them both into the same space of feeling afraid and feeling brave, thus complementing each other as characters. Speaking of lays, as you know or probably guessed from the film's title, someone does get laid, and a journey to track down the morning after pill ensues.

If you're rolling your eyes right now because you hate Planned Parenthood or are pro life to the very end, then this review is not for you and I'm guessing the movie wasn't for you or will not be. But if that's not the case, then I suggest you watch this with an open mind and give the organic performances of the lead actresses a chance. Both are funny, raw, sentimental, and embody the countless vibrantly close female friendships that exist all over the country at that age. Sunny and Lupe depend on each other and love each other, and the sharp twists and turns of navigating teenage life as an almost adult female with reproductive organs and hormones is child's play compared with the bond they have as friends. The dialogue and chemistry of these talented actresses' performances captures this dichotomy extremely well.

This film has many jarring and emotional turns, and yet it does not take itself too seriously. It addresses what cannot be an uncommon problem: trying to find birth control options in the plains states without disturbing the small community or infringing upon its societal norms. And that does not even account for the laws that were likely generated based on these same communal, tightly-tied values. The fear of this is palpable as the characters realize the enormity of the predicament they are in, and yet the film does not overstate it. In this way, the story rings true, and it does not play like another teen movie.

For viewers with children, this film very much deserves its mature rating. There is casual underage drinking, as well as soft and hard drug use throughout. And then of course there is the "Prince Albert" nude sex scene. So, ironically, I wouldn't allow anyone under the age of 18 to watch this film about two 17 year olds. But everyone matures at different ages, so your call.

Long story short, this film is an enjoyable journey about friendship, distrust, insecurity, confusion, actions (with very real consequences), and unconditional love.

Writing: 9/10 Acting: 9/10 Soundtrack: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Gut: 9/10

Overall: 8.6 rounded to 9.

This film kinda remind me of "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," but with so much lighter in tone. "Plan B" is a teen-comedy full of cliches of the usual genre, but never felt boring and always hilarious. The pace flows effortlessly, while the twist and turn is keep the film amusing. In the vein of "Booksmart," the women perspective make it fresh and relatable.

9/10 - if you love Booksmart as much as I do, you will absolutely adore this new raunchy high school comedy that is much in the same vain but also feels entirely fresh and worthy of much acclaim.

The movie is cute and the acting is good but is there not another pharmacy close by?

I was excited to watch this as I'm a fan of Kuhoo but this didn't do it for me. It wasn't terrible but there wasn't really any memorable moments which I think is really important for a comedy film.

Super funny with strong POC lady leads. Doesn't shy away from raunchy humor, which was refreshing from a female led comedy. It also does a great job of incorporating current events and legislation into the story. Definitely recommend.

Sunny (Kuhoo Verma) and Lupe (Victoria Moroles) are the best of friends. The two seventeen year olds throw a party so that good girl Sunny could get with her crush Hunter. Next morning, Sunny needs the Plan B pill.

First and foremost, I really like these two actresses. They have great chemistry together. This is directed by Natalie Morales. The movie has a fork in the road or more like a ring in the Johnson. I was expecting the movie to go full gross-out humor after that. Instead, it has a lot more seriousness and sincere relationships. There is one truly surprising and touching reveal. The movie climax can be too political for some people, but I don't think it's preachy. All in all, this duo helps sells the story.

The movie was nice .. had more than few giggling moments .. and It had a lot of potintials, but at the end it kinda did seem unauthentic and the ideas were a bit repetitive..

The plot looked fresh for me, the script had some light average comedy , it all looked very organized and flowing smoothly, but again it felt like "for some scenes" like a deja vu, or derived in a way from similar movies.. but still I wouldn't go far to saying I didn't have fun watching it.. The directing and camera work and montage was good, didn't seem very TV movie which I commend "at these times".

The cast was good probably the first big gig for Kuhoo Verma and did a nice due with Victoria Moroles (Hayden from Teen Wolf :D).

Overall, the movie was a good watch , some might not consider it as a strong comedy, but I think it was somewhat fairly enjoyable.

I appreciated the very real political thread that ran through this film regarding reproductive rights. Genuinely talented actors. It takes real skill to be funny and these ladies have it. I thought the script was average. Nothing particularly fresh here except the reproductive rights message, hence the 7 for me. Still, an enjoyable film that I'm glad I watched.

I don't get all the folks offended by the raunch or politics. It's rated TVMA and is about the morning after pill. What did you expect?

Don't listen to the trolls. This was a great story with some talented actors.

It has been a long time since I've seen a movie that started out so predictable and average, but completely elevates itself in the second half. Coming into this movie, I had no exceptions at all, but I did see some ratings that left some mild excitement for me. This is why I was kinda confused after the first act. It felt like the typical teenage movie with nothing really new to say. There were some funny jokes here and there, but nothing special. It's when the girls start going on the road trip where it starts to become interesting. What makes this movie special are two things. The first is the way the movie balance the important subject with the humor. I can't really talk about the elephant in the room without spoiling some stuff, but the way the subject is handled is very well done. The second thing (In honestly the most amazing thing) is how compelling the main characters are. They make some bad jokes actually work at times and really make you invested in their problems. The performances are also surprisingly incredible. It's all of this combined that makes the movie keep getting better and better. These characters are not the most original, but there so compelling that I feel want to know what is coming next. I also wanna give some credit for the fact that the movie takes the extra mile when it needs to. Some movies about sex tent to stay away from the actual incidents, but this one dives in full force. This makes you actually experience the awful and awkward moments and understand the character better. All of this combined made for a great comedy movie with a surprising amount of heart. It actually made me choke up a little at the end.

Love this movie.. hilarious and well scripted and loved the cast.

Plot and thematic comparisons to Unpregnant and Booksmart aside, this one's an enjoyable coming-of-age road movie centered around a pair of 17-year-olds. The lead girls (Kuhoo Verma & Victoria Moroles) deliver excellent performances. Natalie Morales' directorial debut largely works thanks to them. Their bestie-chemistry is convincing and heartfelt. While Plan B's first act is pretty tame, it gets raunchier, funnier, and bolder when the girls hit the road looking for the morning-after pill. As far as the humour is concerned, it mostly hit the mark for me. Except for a few (casually) racist asides and some odd practical humour (involving mud, broken windows, and piercings), quite a few genuine laughs can be expected. The ending does fall back to cheesy levels of predictable, but it didn't hamper the viewing experience all that much. It's indeed fun to view things from the young, straight/queer woman perspective in a sex comedy that highlights the lack of access to reproductive health care.

Jeremy Garelick has made some absolute classics like the Break-up and the Wedding Ringer...why have all of his recent movies been total duds? The only reason why I'm giving this three stars is because I'm a still a big fan of Jeremy. I'm not even sure why this is considered a comedy. I didn't laugh once.

Super sharp script by Prathi Srinivasan and Joshua Levy delivered with great performances from Victoria Moroles and Kuhoo Verma. There is raunch, sure, but it's really the foundational chemistry between the two leads that makes this work. No doubt Natalie Morales has a gift for working with actors. It is exciting to see a director coming out of the gate this assuredly. Definitely sets the expectations high for Language Lessons.

This movie is marketed as a comedy and attempts to make you laugh throughout the whole film, but it falls very short. In the first hour I could count the times I laughed on 2 fingers. I went into this movie expecting a funny buddy story, but came out of it having experienced a laughably unfunny film. The other aspects of the movie were not nearly focused on enough. If this movie had just attempted to be less funny, it would have been so much better. I could probably write a funnier movie and I'm not that funny.

While this is supposed to be a commentary on the inability for many people to get birth control, the "comedy" heavily overshadows this. Instead of bringing an important message to the front of the film, you are hit with attempted joke after attempted joke which truly overshadows the main message of the movie. Instead of coming out of this focusing on the message, I came out of this not really realizing what the message was because I was focusing on the failure of comedy that had happened. Again, this stands to my point that this movie would have been much better if it attempted to be less funny. The good aspects would have shown through, such as the social message and the dynamic between the two main characters. It may be strange to say, but this comedy should have tried to be less funny.

After straight A student Sunny(Verma, tightly wound) has sex, she realises that the condom failed. She and her best friend, the slacker Lupe(Moroles, rebelling against the expectations of her father and others), must go on a quest to track down a Plan B pill before the window closes.

This movie wears its progressive politics on its sleeves, and is careful to make each clear expression of them either very funny or moving. Lots of ammo, many targets, and it's one bullseye after another. The defining trait of this ideology is empathy, and while a lot of movies run on clear interpersonal conflict, this one shows that a lot of people are hurt by the things that it criticizes, including some that you might not guess. Don't believe the people who said that it doesn't have any good people who are white, Christian, male etc.

The duo are incredible together. Immense chemistry and talent on display. Every major character will get some strong characterisation over the course of this, though for some of them, it's only close to the end. As a raunchy teen sex comedy, it delivers: people talk about it in detail, there's at least one scene of it, there are drugs and swearing. None of it was just plopped down in front of the audience and we're expected to find it funny because it is taboo. They always made sure that there would be an actual punchline there.

I recommend this to anyone that enjoys the sub-genre. 7/10.