INCOMING (2024)

Yes, we’ve been here before: A first week of high school teen comedy with an intimidating older kids’ party setting, crushing crushes on the just-beyond-your-reach dream girl, nerds, etc. Every generation cries out for an awkward insecure group of freshmen to navigate drugs, girls, bullies and diarrhea to commiserate with (or at least feel as if someone had it as bad or worse than us); and Incoming delivers with a smattering of refreshingly politically incorrect storylines.

Being that it’s written and directed by the Chernin brothers who also wrote for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the humour does not pull punches. Bobby Cannavale and Scott MacArthur (both hysterical) are respectively and gamely cast as the king of cringe chemistry teacher and grossly inappropriate boyfriend to ninth grader Ramon Reed’s (a standout) single mom. There are laugh out loud scenes and relatable moments of embarrassment, such as when it exploits something as simple as the origin of simple nickname. Note: there are many creepy Fast times at Ridgemount High/Sixteen Candles type sex scenarios, but they are attended to with a modern perspective and resolutions.

WATCH OR NOT: WATCH

Additional musings:

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an amazing show but Kaitlin Olsen is not necessary here (I get it she was also in The Mick). An actress with the knowhow to be a straight woman to the teenage fuck ups (as opposed to trying to get laughs) would have better served the comedy.