Reinventing the Teen Comedy
Netflix’s new teen party comedy, ‘Incoming’, directed by Dave and John Chernin, takes a sidestep from the usual clichés seen in teen movies and most comedies. By focusing on humor and leaving out the predictable emotional ending, the renowned writing-directing duo makes their feature debut, following a career in TV.
Trained in Unsentimental Comedy
The Chernin brothers are experts when it comes to unsentimental comedy, thanks to their time on the popular sitcom, ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’. This distinct style shines in ‘Incoming’. They wanted to create a movie that prioritizes humor over lessons or moral messages.
Dave, the younger of the two brothers, noted, “we embraced the idea of writing comedy without a moral subplot. We wanted laughter to take the forefront”. The Chernins believe that real, grounded moments in a film provide a satisfying payoff for viewers, rather than the stereotypical display of shared emotions towards the end of the movie.
Teenage Adventures and Freedom in Incoming
‘Incoming’ falls into a rare category in modern comedies, featuring teenagers in an R-rated film. However, the movie skillfully avoids turning adolescents’ behaviour into a spectacle or sermon. Instead, the narrative cleverly centers on a group of freshman characters, played by Mason Thames, Raphael Alejandro, Bardia Seiri, and Ramon Reed, as they try to fit in during a wild party while the parents are away.
This high school party comedy presents the teenage characters as more hopeful individuals compared to the cynical adults seen in ‘Always Sunny’ and ‘The Mick’. Their mistakes and adventures are seen as innocent learning curves, unlike the greed-driven faulty behavior of Paddy’s Pub gang in ‘Always Sunny’.
A Conversation with the Chernins
In a conversation with the Chernin brothers on their debut into feature films, high school parties, and teen lingo, they shared their experiences and insights.
Realistic Representation of Teenage Experiences
When modeling teenage experiences, the Chernins stressed that their goal was to maintain accuracy and authenticity, not to exploit or shock their viewers. Their storytelling reflects experiences from their own high school days or stories they had heard, rather than fabricating incidents for the sake of comedy.
Making Light of the Teenage Faux pas
The Chernins also endeavored to modernize and subvert clichés seen in other famous teen movies like ’10 Things I Hate About You’ and ‘American Pie’. By flipping traditional teen movie scenarios on their head, they were able to maintain a humorous tone without compromising the integrity of their characters.
The Chernin brothers are firm believers in teenagers having the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them. Their vision for ‘Incoming’ was to provide a well-rounded, humorous, non-moralistic representation of teenage experiences, unlike traditional teen films.
In ‘Incoming’, teenagers who defied convention went through their own comeuppance, while those who embraced decency were rewarded, yet all without any heavy-handed moral lesson. After all, they believe that teenagers don’t need adults to teach them lessons through movies, but need space to grow.
‘Incoming’ is now the new gem in Netflix’s comedy offerings. If you’re seeking a teen party movie with a fresh perspective and authentic comedy, this should be your next binge-watch.
Conclusively, the Chernin brothers have crafted a cinematic experience that respects its young audience by presenting them with a realistic, hilarious, and unconventional take on the often clichéd high school party genre. This unique approach ensures that ‘Incoming’, despite its R rating, won’t age badly and will remain a timeless comedy classic for audiences of all ages.
