Blockers

The directorial debut of Pitch Perfect scribe Kay Cannon is a raucous and refreshing cross-generational comedy based around a fear of female sexuality. When their daughters make a pact to lose their virginity on prom night, a trio of parents (Leslie Mann, John Cena and Ike Barinholtz) haplessly pursue them from party to party in an attempt to intervene after deciphering the girls' emoji-heavy messages. Events escalate as they ask themselves, "What would Vin Diesel do?" The film subverts the seemingly sexist - and rather slight - premise by thoroughly interrogating the parental overreaction while engaging impressively with the issues. The teenagers (played by Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan and Gideon Adlon) are smart, idiosyncratic and empowered, and the adults - who are substantially less mature - evolve beyond the initial stereotypes. Meanwhile, the often outrageous comic set pieces, including Mann's hysterically funny escape from a hotel room, are executed with aplomb by the lively ensemble. Although not averse to grossing out its audience, Blockers is also disarmingly sweet and its sincerity sets it apart from other American comedies.