The Driver Replaces the Rope and Tries Again Having Learned His Lesson
Picture show Review
When Stephanie Conway first moved to the United States from Australia, she knew the transition wouldn't be piece of cake.
She didn't have "cool hair" or "hot dress," and she couldn't fifty-fifty pronounce her Rs. Sure, her mom reassured her that she was beautiful, smart and funny. And that her accent made her unique.
But according to Steph, her mom's opinion doesn't count.
Steph doesn't want the approval of her parents or friends; she wants the approval of "the populars"—the few people fortunate enough to somehow skip their awkward tween stage. Considering "if their lives are this amazing in high school, imagine how perfect the rest of their lives are going to be."
And Steph knows exactly how to become i of them. All she has to do is change everything about herself, go helm of the cheerleading squad, acquire dozens of new friends, get a "hot" boyfriend and exist crowned prom queen.
Unfortunately, Steph's plan for the perfect life doesn't go quite as planned. After a cheer stunt gone horribly wrong, Steph falls into a blackout for 20 years.
She wakes to observe everything has changed. Cheerleaders aren't cool anymore. Real life friends take been replaced by online followers. And her high schoolhouse fellow, Blaine? Well, he married her rival, Tiffany, after they won prom male monarch and queen before moving into Steph's dream house.
Simply Steph, stuck in her 17-year-old self, still believes she tin have the perfect life. All she has to do is adjust to the modern world, get captain of the cheer squad in one case again, larn millions of followers on social media, somehow convince Blaine to leave his wife and win prom queen.
I guess some people really don't always abound up.
Positive Elements
When Steph was a teenager trying to fit in, she told her mom (who was dying from cancer) that her opinion near cute and smart Steph didn't count because she was Steph's mom. Years later, Steph'due south dad tells her that the one thing her mom fabricated him hope before she died was that he would teach Steph how to receive love. He tells her that his stance does count because he counts. And while information technology might not be "cool" to mind to your parents, they love you lot the virtually, and therefore their opinions matter the nearly.
Steph admits that winning prom queen wasn't so much almost existence popular as it was about doing it for her mom. After moving from Australia, Steph was miserable considering people made fun of her. And to assistance her go through it, Steph's mom told her to imagine her perfect life—considering if you tin imagine it, then you tin can have information technology, she said. Then after her mom died (which made Steph even more than miserable), Steph decided to show her right by achieving that perfect life, which meant becoming popular and winning prom queen.
Of course, those goals weren't the exist-all, finish-all for Steph. As a teenager, she abandoned her 2 closest friends, Martha and Seth, on her purple quest. Every bit an adult, she repeats this error, taking their feelings for granted and acting selfishly. When she realizes how much they truly care for her (and how much she values their opinions, thank you to her dad), she apologizes, and they forgive her.
And although Steph acts selfishly at first, we also see moments that prove she loves her friends and family. She encourages her dad to nourish a group for widows and widowers. She defends Martha against a smashing who calls her "Barfa." And after she decides to focus on her friends and schoolwork instead of being pop. She makes amends with Tiffany, encouraging Tiff to focus on her human relationship with her girl instead of her rivalry with Steph.
A former prom queen says she wishes she had been more focused on school than popularity while growing up. She explains that her mixed-up priorities left her with no credit or job prospects later on her divorce. However, she also explains that she isn't holding onto the by. She went back to school at the local community college and works two jobs to pay rent. Information technology'due south hard, but because her priorities are now on rail, she feels excited about the hereafter.
As principal, Martha aims to create a kinder, less fiercely cliquey high school than the one she attended. She cancels near forms of competition (especially the prom king and queen one) because if there are no winners then at that place are no losers either. And she goes on to become coach of the cheer squad, creating chants about saving the surroundings and the importance of consent. (Non to mention that she gives them much more modest uniforms.) We also learn that she was able to provide Seth with a stable task as the school librarian afterwards a messy breakup.
Spiritual Elements
When Steph wakes from her coma, she wonders if she'due south been "Freaky Friday-ed" into an older adult female's body. There are references to Harry Potter and a convent.
Sexual Content
You know, this is one of those films where at that place's just so much sexual content, information technology's hard to know where to begin.
First off, the people portrayed in this film, particularly Steph (both before and after her accident) are obsessed with sex. They talk nearly it constantly and graphically. Nosotros see hetero- and homosexual pairings. A teen girl's open up relationship with her boyfriend (who wears women's dress on occasion) is chosen the "gilded standard of the future." Magazines aimed at teens feature articles nigh sex activity and being "sexy." And while there'southward no nudity, a teen boy'due south genitals are blurred out on screen when his kilt fails to cover him properly.
Another teen boy gropes his girlfriend's chest in public (and when the daughter'south friend says he shouldn't behave that style, the girl says it'southward how he expresses love). An adult Steph slaps a man's rear finish. When a couple imitates sexual practice in a theater, someone calls information technology pornographic. Steph imitates many sexual acts and teaches teenagers to do the same. Several couples brand out. Pictures in magazines bear witness celebrities wearing next to nothing. Nosotros hear a lot of crass talk about trunk types and parts that leaves little to the imagination.
Teens trip the light fantastic inappropriately in formfitting, revealing outfits. A school principal calls cheerleaders "not school appropriate" just before they perform a risqué trip the light fantastic toe routine to Nelly's song "Hot in Herre," which talks about removing apparel. Another dance routine mocks sexual consent with its suggestive choreography. (And a father is criticized by his married woman for auspicious the students on.)
To Steph'southward outrage, Martha attempts to de-sexualize the cheer squad by changing the compatible to loose-plumbing fixtures, gender neutral pants and shirts. Steph responds by creating several racy costumes to wear at their next operation.
Blaine attempts to have an affair with Steph. We acquire he also cheated on his wife back in high school when they were all the same dating. When he says he has a affair for prom queens, Steph is disgusted since Blaine'south girl is in the running. We hear about another human being who left his married woman for a younger, more than fit adult female.
Martha confesses that high school was miserable for her because she was gay. She feared that her friends, namely Steph, wouldn't have her and would join bullies in verbally abusing her. Seth is repeatedly chosen "Sethany" past Tiff.
A girl gives her friend a sock covered in dried semen to stem the claret from a cut on his forehead.
Violent Content
Under orders from Tiff, two girls button the cheer squad members meant to catch Steph after tossing her loftier into the air. As a consequence, Steph falls to the ground difficult, resulting in her 20-year coma.
Steph jumps out of a moving vehicle when the driver refuses to stop. Later, it's revealed she wasn't wearing a seatbelt either. When a girl slams on her car brakes, her passenger hits and cuts his head on the dashboard.
Steph falls when she tries to stand up up unaided right afterward waking from her coma. Later, she faints and falls to the floor again. A man falls off the border of a phase.
Steph sometimes throws temper tantrums, screaming and throwing objects around.
Crude or Profane Language
There are 15 uses of the f-word and 12 of the s-give-and-take. We also hear uses of "a–," "a–pigsty," "b–ch" (and variants of that term), the Australian expletive "bloody," "d–due north," "d–yard," "h—" and "p—y." A play on words besides references the c-give-and-take.
There are a plethora of crude terms from Steph's childhood, nearly of which insult women, including "skank," "slut" and "ho." A few refer to male reproductive organs, equally well. Merely the well-nigh pop profane phrase hither is easily "oh my god," which we hear about 85 times (most uttered by Steph) throughout the motion picture.
People brand rough manus gestures. A teacher tries to comprehend his accidental use of the s-word by proverb "shoot" and "dang."
Steph uses the terms "retarded" and "gay" derogatorily until someone informs her that information technology'south no longer socially adequate.
Drug and Alcohol Content
Hundreds of teenagers drinkable at a party hosted by Steph (who is technically an adult at the time), and the party gets reported to the cops. One girl becomes inebriated, screaming profanities on video about how the media will someday apply said video to discredit her. We hear that parents paid for an open bar at their daughter'due south mail-prom political party.
A woman drinks straight from a wine bottle when stressed. A man is warned confronting getting drunkard also every bit drinking and driving. Someone references "aphrodisiac wine."
People fume marijuana. Steph is given free marijuana (which she then hands out to classmates) subsequently becoming a social media influencer. A man asks his girl if she using cocaine.
Other Negative Elements
The rivalry between Stephanie and Tiffany is petty and obnoxious. Even though we know Tiff bundled for Steph's accident (although it seems she didn't await information technology to finish quite so badly), she acts like information technology was somehow Steph's error it happened. Steph insults Tiff's matrimony. Tiff brags about living Steph's dream life. Steph mocks Tiff for living vicariously through her daughter, Bri. And Tiff ultimately pits Bri against Steph by reinstating the prom queen contest and rigging the votes in Bri's favor.
Bri, who is a social media influencer, starts off oblivious to her mom's manipulations because she doesn't intendance nigh popularity. Bri says she's but trying "to build my about authentic, socially conscious, trunk-positive, environmentally aware and economically compassionate make that's a home for inclusion, focused way, food and fun-filled lifestyle." Or to put it in Tiff'southward own terms, Bri is "woke."
Now Bri isn't completely innocent. She insults Steph with a post about ageism and hurts another girl with a comment about body positivity. But Bri soon starts to realize that her mom is a hypocrite who cares more about showing upwardly Steph than caring for her daughter.
Tiff tells Bri that prom male monarch and queen "rewarded archaic gender roles" but then forces Bri into the contest. Tiff tapes up hundreds of posters around the school for Bri'southward entrada, despite Bri having fabricated a no-paper pledge. Tiff is more worried nigh the money that Bri lost out on from sponsors by withdrawing from the prom queen competition than whether Bri would get arrested for attending the party that Tiff chosen the cops on. And when Bri realizes that limiting the number of people she follows on social media isn't about preserving the mental health of others merely rather only a way of decision-making who is because "cool" or non, she blocks her ain mom to teach her a lesson.
Of course, equally bad as Tiffany is, Steph can be just as bad. She manipulates her friends to get what she wants. She uses teenagers to make herself popular online, encouraging them to make bad decisions and human activity lewdly. And whenever things don't go her fashion, she throws young temper tantrums.
A teenaged Martha steals the keys to her parents' lake firm for Steph's mail-prom party. Steph then only invites her and Seth to said party as an afterthought. And even though Steph has been planning the shindig for months, her boyfriend tries to go her to abolish it so he can go to a unlike party at his ex-girlfriend'due south house.
Bullies mock Steph for beingness poor. Tiff insults Seth, maxim information technology took 20 years and a bit of brain damage to convince Steph to get out with him. A adult female doubles the price of prom tickets so it will take the artful she desires. People bribe teenagers.
A woman vomits. A teen daughter pretends to defecate a bowling ball. Steph prepares for prom by going on a dangerous diet of only bananas and ice cubes. Several unused tampons are used in an art brandish.
Conclusion
"Who yous are in high school doesn't define you," Stephanie finally realizes.
It takes an annoyingly long time for her to understand this, simply that'due south Senior Year's main betoken. Existence pop in loftier school doesn't mean you lot'll have friends after in life. Existence in love in high schoolhouse doesn't guarantee yous a happy marriage. Being prom queen doesn't hateful y'all're going to have a perfect life.
And while this is a good message, it's aimed at the incorrect audition.
Senior Year isn't advisable for teenagers who might benefit from its good messages. Information technology's non appropriate for adults either, for that matter, but that'south a moot point since the letters are coming a lilliputian too late in life anyways.
But let'due south dive into the content issues.
To get admitted back into high school (as opposed to taking GED courses), Steph uses the excuse that she is still mentally 17 years old. However, if that'south really truthful, then nosotros have a big situation on our hands where a 17-year-old girl stuck in a 37-year-sometime adult female'southward body is dating and presumably doing adult things with a man who is really 37-years-quondam. And honestly, that's creepy, no matter how much Steph insists it isn't.
Adjacent—say it with me now—but considering you utilise adults to portray teenagers doesn't mean you aren't sexualizing underage boys and girls. Seriously, teenage Stephanie and company are crass and cringingly vulgar. Just then Steph's body ages 20 years, and she starts to teach other teenagers to talk and act the same style! (Non that they weren't already randy teenagers, but having an "adult" encourage information technology was disgusting.)
Language is another major issue. Information technology'south a rare movie when the number of times God'southward proper noun is abused outnumbers the f-bombs nearly six to one. Simply then you throw in nearly every other profanity and it becomes downright unwatchable.
The picture show briefly touches on the very existent difficulties that homosexual people often face—namely the fright, anger and isolation that comes from bullying. But then it turns around and celebrates open relationships with multiple partners of both genders.
Netflix's Senior Year certainly threw me back to my own senior year of high school. But while that time in my life was difficult, at to the lowest degree information technology didn't compare to Steph's monstrosity.
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Source: https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/senior-year-2022/
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