No Hard Feelings Movie Review

Jennifer Lawrence goes full frontal nude as she beats the crap out of a bunch of tourists. If that sounds like your jam, and it should be, then the new comedy No Hard Feelings is for you. Consistently crude and more importantly funny, this R-rated raunchfest goes for the balls and largely lands its below-the-waist punches.

No Hard Feelings is about a rich couple (featuring a very nappy looking Matthew Broderick) who hire desperate-for-cash J-Law to “date” (read: fuck) their 19-year-old awkward-as-hell son before he heads off to college. 

It’s a simple premise backdropped against a generic lie-until-your-lie-is-revealed story, but executed well enough to appeal to neanderthal-minded audience members like myself. Lawrence flashes her comedy chops and Andrew Barth Feldman matches her step for step, making for a dynamic on-screen duo. More importantly, the sharp writing by director Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips (Good Boys, Bad Teacher) lands plenty of laughs.

This is no comedy classic. No Hard Feelings doesn’t really push the boundaries, even if it serves a don’t-give-a-fuck attitude for much of its tight 100-minute runtime. What holds it back is it’s story, which ultimately goes the predictable and thoughtful direction rather than staying true to core premise. Why do movies like this feel beholden to traditional “feel good” endings? The movie slaps until it doesn’t, and while I liked the more touching moments well enough, is that why I wanted to see this movie? No. 

It’s not perfect, but any comedy that makes me laugh repeatedly deserves some respect. For that, I have no hard feelings–and recommend you give No Hard Feelings a chance.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.