RE-EDUCATION OF MOLLY SINGER, THE
(director: Andy Palmer; screenwriters: Todd M. Friedman, Kevin Haskin; cinematographer: Filip Vandewal; editor: Tim Rush; music: Shirley Song, Jina Hyojin An; cast: Britt Robertson (Molly Singer), Ty Simkins (Eliot), Nico Santos (Ollie), Jamie Pressly (Brenda), Wendie Malick (Mrs. Zimmerman), Carlos Alazraqui (Judge), Holland Roden (Trina), Cierra Ramirez (Lindsay), Zach Scheerer (Stu), Johnny Lipnicki (Sully); Runtime: 120; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Warner Davis, Todd M. Friedman; Lionsgate; 2023)
“It gets some laughs because it’s such a goof.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Andy Palmer (“Witness Infection”/”The Funhouse Massacre”) directs this crude and unoriginal school comedy that’s weakly written by Todd M. Friedman and Kevin Haskin. It gets some laughs because it’s such a goof. But its overlong, contrived, the characters are cartoonish, the story is driven by cliches and the comedy is juvenile.
The 20-something Molly (Britt Robertson) was a party girl during college and a poor student. It’s surprising to everyone that she graduated. Eight years later she’s still immature and a party girl, but miraculously is a lawyer at a law firm.
Mary’s assigned by her irate boss Brenda ( Jamie Pressly), who is pissed at her for always being late for court appearances, to work undercover at her alma mater to tutor Brenda’s freshman socially awkward son Eliot (Ty Simkins) to become popular on his college campus so he can win over Lindsay (Cierra Ramirez). She’s the girl Eliot has a crush on, who is dating the campus jock (Zach Scheerer).
On campus with her dissolute bestie from her college days, Ollie (Nico Santos), things get raunchy as Eliot turns into a frat-boy party animal and Molly suddenly grows up and modifies her behavior.
Though Robertson is likeable and gives a charming performance, the film’s formulaic, unconvincing and predictable. It can’t get far enough away from its ridiculous storyline for it to be taken seriously. But that’s not to say that it might not appeal to viewers who laugh at its wack jokes.
REVIEWED ON 11/1/2023 GRADE: C+