Director: Richard Linklater
By Alex Watson
You will struggle to find a funnier and naturally charming movie than Richard Linklater's Everybody Wants Some!! in 2016. Infectious from the first frame, this movie catches fire and is a great dosage of dopey summer fun. With a belting 80s soundtrack, it is clear to see why Linklater has labelled this film a spiritual sequel to his 1993 classic Dazed and Confused. Rarely has college freshman having fun seemed so damn appealing.
Jake (Blake Jenner) arrives at a prominent Texas college for his freshman year where he is a promising pitcher on the baseball team. Immediately he finds himself hazed but universally accepted by the other characters Finn (Glen Powell), stoner Willoughby (Wyatt Russell) and Roeper (Ryan Guzman). Quickly he endears himself to attractive red-head Beverley (Zoey Deutch) as being the quiet one of the group.
Thankfully Everbody Wants Some!! never once descends into your typical college drunken romp fest and this depiction of life before school time brings a huge smile. The moment Jake arrives he met with destain by All-American prospect Glen McReynolds (Tyler Hoechlin) who hates pitchers. Despite this he seems to fit in just fine and watching the new teammates gleefully rapping along to Sugar Hill Gang sparks a great bond. In Linklater's film, there are no hard choices to be made, no life-affirming decisions, just a group of bro's looking to have as much fun as they can. This picture takes their partying to all places such as country line dancing, a punk rock club and even a bizarre party for drama majors.
The bond betweens guys makes this picture the most likeable and although there is occasion friction these guys look like a winning team. Their coach demands there be no drinking and no girls, which is quickly disregarded in favour of no-limits fun. There are some weird apples like tightly wound Detroit pitcher Niles (Juston Street) who instigates heated fights and country boy Billy (Will Brittain) who seemed a little too much under his girlfriend's thumb. Players like Finnegan are the guys you want to be friends with as he seems to talk the talk the ladies love. Men like Plummer who good hearts but very much fill the weird quota. Jake is told early on by Willoughby to let loose and "Just be weird!" which he takes very much to heart.
Any thoughts about college or the future are secondary compared to living in the moment. McReynold is a major league prospect and Niles has already been drafted but opted out of major league stardom to pursue college life first. This easy-going feel is what gives Linklater's film so much heart. Also, it is impressive just how easily the story rolls together, Boyhood was a story that covered numerous periods of a boy's life, here Linklater focuses on the innocence of before real adulthood. Will these guys make it all the way through? That question might have to wait for another installment, but it will be the last thing on our minds as we think about the good times that were had.
Blake Jenner emerges as a future star and is easily the most likable lead as Jake. With a magnetic charisma and a sweet central soul, Jenner is the boyish good looks of Linklater's film. Glen Powell perhaps steals the show as the talkative and philosophical Finnegan. You have all met this guy, he is the one who seems born with a silver tongue and always has a good use for it. Powell is the funny side of this world which compared to Juston Street's terrifying Niles is a good thing. This ensemble together makes one of the finest casts that will be assembled in 2016 and you hope and pray they all get together soon.
Everybody Wants Some!! is a movie that deserves your time and will make you wish this had been your college experience. Linklater back on old turf feels good and you can never predict what will come next from this guy?
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