Incoming review: It's no Superbad, but it tries

Netflix recently dropped another anticipated original movie, Incoming, which comes from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame Dave and John Chernin. Playing on the established tropes of teenage comedy, this is another entry into the stereotype R-rated high school movie, which appears once every generation (or every year, nowadays).

While the Chernin brothers do create an interesting premise, which though riddled with obvious inspirations from the many, many that came before, the film does not really stand on its own two feet by the end of the one-and-a-half-hour runtime. Rather, it feels like it tried very hard to be Superbad, but lacked both the soul and the originality we associate with the latter.

The few laughs that Incoming scores, showcase its best moments, but its worst moments are nowhere near comparable to the movies that we consider examples of good high school comedies like American Pie or Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Read on for a complete review of Incoming. It is streaming on Netflix across the globe now.

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The Incoming borrows some great material but is unable to rise above it

In every generation, there has been a teen movie that defines high schools, American high schools to be particular. And with this said movie, comes a set of overused tropes that hardly vary.

From geeky students trying to change their lives in "that one night" to some sophomores and seniors making life hell for everyone around, and at least one cool teacher/figure of authority to cap it all off.

Incoming has all this and more, but for the amount of material it borrows from many of the movies that came before, the Chernin brothers comedy is unable to put a good twist to the same. Rather, every twist it did try turned to take it down a notch, which is precisely why it does not seem as funny or gripping from the very start.

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The characters are interesting enough in themselves, but work little to elevate the story

Unlike its plot, which seems more like seven different movies you have watched being reenacted by newer faces, the characters are quite fresh and exciting, barring the archetypes, of course.

At the start of the movie, we are introduced to Benj (Mason Thomas), Connor (Raphael Alejandro), Eddie (Ramon Reed), and Danah “Koosh” Koushani (Bardia Seiri), four high school boys who are driven by various motives with all of them spiraling into how they are perceived (of course).

These underdogs pick out a night, that will apparently transform everything about their lives, and this night takes over half the movie, with many, many misadventures, and some gross sequences that seem more intent on forcing laughter than earning it.

By the time the third act rolls, most characters lose the edge that makes a stereotypical comedy stand out. And without that edge, it remains just a stereotypical comedy. It is also worth mentioning that many of the characters in the movie, some of whom are brilliant actors, are grossly underused, something, if done properly, could have changed this movie entirely.

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Gross can only be funny for so long

It is admirable that Incoming is brave in using its status as an R-rated comedy. When the grossness comes, there is no stopping the movie. This can be hilarious to some, but any adult trying to watch a movie that will not rely solely on poop jokes to get the laughs will be thoroughly disappointed.

The gross elements in Incoming could have been funny if done with moderation and intent, but those are elements that seem to be lacking in this script.

But other elements of the movie make up for the bulk of it. From its good camera work to its beautiful score by Jonathan Sadoff, there are things that will keep you hooked. But there are hardly things that will keep the movie memorable in the minds of fans in a year or so.

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Incoming is now streaming on Netflix.