Chaotic Hulu Comedy Pits Generations Of Actors Against Each Other
Coming-of-age movies have been a staple of cinema for decades at this point, as nearly everyone can relate to the loss of childhood innocence and the subsequent onslaught of personal responsibilities. While most coming-of-age tales are told from the perspective of young characters reaching a newfound point of maturity, one comedy classic flips this trope on its head by pitting two generations of comedy icons against each other. The film in question, 2014’s Neighbors, is currently streaming on Hulu for those who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing it yet, or those simply in need of a rewatch.
Seth Rogen And Zac Efron Star In Neighbors
The narrative of Neighbors centers around the Radner family, which consists of a pair of newlyweds and their infant daughter, as they adjust to the suburban lifestyle of a quiet, boring family. While the couple, portrayed by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, are having enough trouble giving up partying and blowing off responsibilities to tend to their child, their lives become even more complicated when a group of obnoxious fraternity bros move in to the house right next door.
The college kids, headed by Zac Efron’s Teddy and Dave Franco’s Pete, are particularly loud and boisterous, as they plan to go down in history as the biggest party animals in the history of their frat.
The War
At first, the Radners get along quite well with their newfound neighbors, and even attend one or two parties at the frat house. Still, the partying becomes old news quite quickly, as it prevents the newlyweds and their infant from ever getting a good night’s sleep. Eventually, the police are called to shut down the event, which sparks a full-on war between the frat kids and the couple.
Schemes And Pranks
Led by Teddy and Pete, the frat dumps their trash all over the Radners’ lawn, harasses the couple with constant noise and bright lights, and even places vehicle airbags in chairs and other objects, sending Seth Rogen flying through the air every time he sits down. After assessing the blatant level of danger these pranks pose to their infant, the Radners resolve to get the frat shut down entirely, by attempting to trick the kids into violating their school’s bylaws. As Neighbors continues building toward a thrilling conclusion, none of the main characters are left unscathed by the escalating war.
Guaranteed To Make You Laugh
Neighbors is a fun popcorn comedy with a few high-octane set-pieces sure to make you gasp. The film has received fairly positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, and currently touts a 73 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. While the stacked cast of hilarious performers is the film’s biggest draw, I have always loved Neighbors for its dual exploration of a coming-of-age story.
Streaming On Hulu
REVIEW SCORE
On one hand, you have the frat kids grappling with the reality of finishing college and entering the workforce, which terrifies them into trying to arrest their own development with crazy parties. On the other hand, you have the neighbors, Mac and Kelly Radner, adjusting to the fact that they can no longer go out and party with their friends, as they have a newfound responsibility to raise their daughter.
I won’t spoil the ending of Neighbors for you here, but I will say that it offers a surprisingly comprehensive and realistic flash-forward that displays aging into a new phase in a positive light.
Those interested in catching Neighbors today can stream the outrageous comedy on Hulu.
