Hard Feelings Review: Titled Hammerharte Jungs in German, the latest teen comedy film is directed by Granz Henman and produced by Rat Pack Filmproduktion for Netflix. It has a runtime of about 1 hour and 43 minutes and follows the story of two best friends navigating high school and puberty. Also, said to be a modernized spin-off to two huge blockbuster hits from the 2000s.
The ensemble cast of the film includes Tobias Schäfer as Charly, Cosima Henman as Paula, Axel Stein, Samirah Breuer, Louis Jérôme Wagenbrenner, Vivien König, Lilly Joan Gutzeit, Nhung Hong, Merlin Sandmeyer, Doris Golpashin, Diana Amft, Monika Oschek and Tom Beck.
Hard Feelings Plot: Charly and Paula struggle to find their place in the high school hierarchy, but at least they’re best friends and have each other. But as his penis and her vagina suddenly begin to communicate their very urgent needs, the teenagers do not only have to defend their status in school but also their year-long friendship, as their genitals have much more in mind for them.
In the midst of hurtful school intrigues and excessive parties, Charly and Paula discover their natural desires – and begin to realize, there might be more beauty to their bodies and more steam to their relationship, than they initially thought.
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What Will Happen if Your Body Parts Started Talking?
Before any of the unbelievable stuff happens, Charly was nicknamed ‘no-dick Charly’ since he was a kid and Paula was considered somewhat of a tomboy with an ambiguous sexuality. Until one day they realise that their dormant reproductive parts have quite strong desires and might even take control of their lives. It can be interpreted as a unique way to show the onset of puberty and how it affects a growing individual.
Initially, the film seems interesting and the concept is definitely creative. The difference between how a male goes through all the change and that of a woman is quite striking. As the sexual urges get the best of them, Charly is celebrated for his new-found identity of the boner boy or getting intimate with the popular girls. On the other hand, Paula is rather shamed over the speculations of being sexually active and having been intimate with numerous people.
It comments on how in real life the same is the norm, where a man usually boasts about their sexual endeavours while the woman shouldn’t show off about such things, as it will only attract unwarranted and perverted attention. Apart from these topics, it’s a typical teen story, where childhood friends develop feelings for each other but are unable to express them until the very end – added with some mean girl drama and crushing on jerks.
However, the ending is quite anti-climactic. It doesn’t have that turning point that would lead to a satisfactory end, even though the characters reached their climax. The eureka moment would have elevated the story and wouldn’t make the viewers feel confused after seeing all the build-up that becomes a moral awareness video.
Hard Feelings Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, it’s a quick and light-hearted watch with a fresh take on sexuality. The story proceeds on one note without many turns or twists and despite its explicit subject, it’s quite PG rated.
Rating: 3/5
Hard Feelings is currently streaming on Netflix.
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