Every genre is going to fizzle out at one point or another, which is only natural considering the cinematic landscape in which we exist – audiences are going to constantly shift in what they want to see, and the industry has to comply, or else risk not making a profit, which is unfortunately how the business functions. However, few have had as much of a downfall as the sex comedy, which existed at its peak around the middle of the previous century, but quickly lost its popularity since audiences seemed to stop finding the value in films centred exclusively around randy characters trying to seduce those around them. Every attempt to revive it either resulted in great films that stood in isolation, or unquestionably bad projects that overlook every aspect that made the earlier films so entertaining. From time to time, we do encounter a modern one that actually manages to be quite effective, even if this is not a genre that we can ever see fully making a complete comeback in any real way. No Hard Feelings is the most recent attempt to revisit these broader subjects, with director Gene Stupnitsky (who had already proven himself quite adept at the art of vulgar cinema in the form of Good Boys a few years ago, as well as writing Bad Teacher, the final truly great performance by Cameron Diaz) crafting a lovable and very funny film that centres on the concept of sex and how it functions within society. Telling the story of Maddie, who is on the verge of losing her house if she doesn’t pay her property taxes with immediate effective, and as a result has to find alternative forms of income, which arrives in the form of a request from a wealthy family vacationing in her hometown of Montauk, who will offer a car to whichever young woman will be willing to seduce their son and bring him out of his shell. Hilarious and irreverent, and driven by a genuine sense of heartfelt humour (which may not seem obvious based on a quick glance), No Hard Feelings is an absolute delight, and a film that proves that some of the most effective films are those with nothing more than a few good ideas and the sincere gumption to execute them with precision and genuine heart.

One of the reasons the sex comedy went out of fashion is because audiences seemed to collectively stop finding these scenarios funny – not only were they quite controversial in hindsight, but they followed a specific formula so closely, it became predictable and boring, stretching about ten minutes worth of jokes into a feature-length format, which is never a particularly good idea. No Hard Feelings had these obstacles in its way already, as well as focusing on subject matter that could be viewed as entirely questionable in certain circumstances. In short, this film builds its humour from the fact that the premise is focused on an older woman being hired to seduce a young man who has only just reached adulthood, in an effort to teach him the ways of the world through sexual interaction. It does not take much wisdom to realize how controversial this concept sounds, and many have pointed out the fact that this film would be reviled had the roles been reversed, apparently pointing towards a double standard, these arguments having at least some relevance. However, this is a very one-dimensional view of the film, and quite likely one not formed from actually engaging with it or simply watching how the events depicted transpire, since not only does the director and his screenwriting partner John Phillips acknowledge these aspects throughout the film, they actually use it as a source of humour. The concept of a predatory older person preying on someone younger is the entire point of the film, and there isn’t a moment where it is condoned or viewed as anything other than relentlessly awkward. It is the entire point of the film, and while there are valid arguments that suggest that this film unintentionally makes light of the repulsive act of grooming, or at least exists in the same conceptual space, it would take a complete lack of attention to realize that this film is against these exact same concepts, and as we often see, unless a satire makes its intentions glaringly obvious, there will always be debate around whether a work is promoting or criticizing a specific concept, and while there is a lot of discussions that could be had about how this film views sexuality, none of it was done to condone perversion in any conceivable way.

Once we move past that initial novelty of this film being about a forced sexual relationship, we can see that No Hard Feelings is a much more compelling film than it seems to be on the surface, one that doesn’t need to go for the low hanging fruit in order to provoke laughter, since this is a genuinely very funny film that finds humour in some of the most unexpected of places, and the most hearty chuckles come from the more unpredictable scenarios, with this film depending on the element of surprise for a lot of its jokes. There is a much deeper meaning behind this film, and much like Good Boys was covertly a touching coming-of-age story about friendship and the inevitability of growing up, No Hard Feelings explores the subject of identity in a way that is subtle but very moving once we are able to notice these intricate details that propel the story and keep it from having to rely on conventions too prominently. There is a lot of joyful humour that drives this film, and we see in its quieter moments that there is a sense of complexity that punctuates these themes rather than defining them. A bit part of what makes this film work so well is the fact that it has all of its emotions under control – it knows exactly what it intends to be, and is earnest in its efforts to develop on these ideas, but in a way that feels genuine. Not only are the jokes well-defined and often quite surprising, we find that No Hard Feelings is oddly quite moving. Once that initial sense of vulgarity abates, the film becomes quite heartfelt, with the story becoming as much about sexual appeal as it is about friendship, with this theme in particular being most prominent, and the aspect that we remember most fondly after the film has ended. We all strive for a sense of belonging and the tender feeling of a genuine companion, whether they are romantic or platonic. This is what No Hard Feelings is really about, and the sooner we take notice of these more subtle and moving aspects, the faster we realize what a wonderfully heartwarming, perhaps even bittersweet film, has been crafted with this peculiar story.

Considering both sides of the film, namely the raucous, outrageous comedy about sexuality and the more subdued, heartfelt expression of friendship, casting the right person in the main role seemed to be quite important, since it required someone who could not only handle the various tonal shifts, but command the screen enough to draw audiences to see a film that has a very simple premise, and not one that would be particularly appealing without someone notable attached as the lead. Ultimately, Jennifer Lawrence proved to be the perfect candidate, and some may think she was the only person who could have played this role, since she possesses an incredible amount of sex appeal, but also has the intelligence and emotional complexity to not just play a vapid, one-dimensional character. It has been a while since Lawrence has appeared in a broad comedy (even longer if you consider the more sobering Don’t Look Up and Joy as not being purely comedic), which seemed to be a waste of her genuine gift when it comes to humour – and it wouldn’t be hyperbolic to claim that No Hard Feelings is possibly her funniest performance to date. She may be depending on her natural charisma and not doing anything particularly challenging, but when an actor is cast for their star persona more than anything else, it is only logical that they would depend on it. She’s joined by Andrew Barth Feldman (who has done a fair amount of stage work, but had yet to make his mark on film) as her prospective beau and object of her affections, and while he is intentionally stilted and awkward, there are genuine talents that exist below the surface of this character, which point towards him having a great future as an actor, especially since he proves to be more than capable of holding his own against someone of Lawrence’s stature. Their chemistry is strong, and they essentially propel the entire film, which is built entirely on their hilarious and heartfelt relationship.

A film composed almost entirely out of a series of hilarious mishaps and misunderstandings, No Hard Feelings feels like a genuinely captivating studio comedy, one that doesn’t require an immensely high-concept premise or a hook that had never been done before. Instead, it shows that a great comedy can exist with the most simple of ideas, as long as there is thought and effort behind them, of which there is not any shortage in this film. There are moments where it feels like it may be resorting to excess – there is a fight scene towards the middle of the film that will likely be a major point of conversation, and one has to wonder whether or not it was necessary in the first place – but it is all in service of a broader directorial vision, in which Stupnitsky carefully and methodically investigates a number of fascinating ideas, all under the veneer of an outrageously funny sex comedy that does appear to lean into the vulgarity on occasion, but for reasons that are not difficult to understand, since there is a lot that goes into the humour present at the heart of the film. No Hard Feelings is risqué without being lowbrow, and manages to be provocative in a way that is actually inventive, as opposed to just throwing a number of grotesque themes at the screen and hoping one of them will at least remain relevant. It is a charming, funny film that pushed boundaries and becomes effortlessly entertaining, especially since it understands the invaluable commodity it has in Lawrence, who is nothing short of tremendous in one of her most hilarious and irreverent roles to date. It may not be entirely revolutionary, but it has exceptional ideas, and the deeper we are willing to explore this world, the more interesting it becomes, which is always the sign of a truly great comedy, especially one that proves to be far more complex in practice than it did at a cursory glance.