Incoming is a half-hearted, half-hearted film with few moments of brilliance.
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| Image Credit: Netflix |
Incoming, the Netflix film directed by brothers Dave and John Chernin, creators of the TV series The Mick, presents itself as yet another attempt to revitalize the teen comedy genre that, from the 1990s onwards, has seen hits like American Pie and Superbad. However, while the film aims to capture the irreverent and uninhibited spirit of those films, it ends up being more like a bad copy that fails to keep up with its predecessors.
Incoming is a comedy that does not move, conquer, or entertain
The plot is simple and linear, centered on a group of nerdy kids in their first year of high school who desperately try to break out of their outsider status. Benj Nielsen (played by Mason Thames), a former theater buff trying to reinvent himself as “cool,” is in love with Bailey (Isabella Ferreira), best friend of his older sister Alyssa (Ali Gallo). Meanwhile, his friend Koosh (Bardia Seiri) is determined to prove a point to his older brother Kayvon, a high school bully, by desperately trying to get the attention of a girl. The occasion for these attempts at self-affirmation is an epic school party, hosted by Kayvon, where everything goes as planned… or maybe not.
The strength of Incoming lies mainly in its raw and truthful depiction of the high school environment, with all its power dynamics, teenage insecurities, and the constant search for belonging. The dialogues are realistic and often vulgar, faithfully representing the language used by the young protagonists. However, it is precisely in this representation that the film begins to lose its bite. While Incoming manages to capture the frenetic and chaotic energy of a teenage party, it fails to adequately balance the comic and grotesque elements with a cohesive and interesting narrative.
The film’s best moments are found in the small fragments of tenderness and chemistry between the characters, particularly between Benj and Bailey, which offer a glimmer of authenticity in a sea of forced situations and questionable gags. However, these moments are drowned out by an excessive amount of crass humor, which often descends into vulgarity without adding anything meaningful to the story. In particular, one “intestinal disaster” sequence is so gratuitous and repulsive that it risks alienating even the most tolerant audiences.
The Chernin brothers’ direction, which had demonstrated a sure and funny hand with The Mick, here seems to lack direction and clarity of purpose. Incoming is a film that gets lost in its own excesses, failing to find a balance between slapstick comedy and social satire, ending up being a pale product compared to other recent attempts to revitalize the genre, such as Netflix's Do Revenge or Paramount's Honor Society, which at least embrace the genre's clichés with more awareness and irony.
The performance of the cast is generally good, with Mason Thames managing to convey the anxiety and enthusiasm of a teenager in search of his own identity. However, the enormous potential of actors such as Bobby Cannavale, in the role of a chemistry teacher desperately trying to relive his glory days, is wasted in a character that is underdeveloped and relegated to a simple supporting element.
Incoming: evaluation and conclusion
Incoming represents a missed opportunity to offer a new perspective on teen comedies. Despite some funny moments and a believable depiction of high school dynamics, the film is weighed down by a script that relies too much on shock value and too little on engaging meaningful storytelling. It’s a film that might entertain for an evening but is unlikely to leave a lasting impression.
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