“Incoming,” a raucous teen comedy directed by Dave and John Chernin, begins with a classic setup: a socially awkward teen (Mason Thames) appears to confess his love to the camera, only for the scene to cut to him practicing his lines in front of a mirror. This cliché-laden introduction does not set a promising tone, hinting that the filmmakers may be relying on familiar jokes rather than crafting fresh material.
The remainder of the film does little to counter this initial impression. Following a predictable storyline of high school freshmen navigating a wild house party, the film rarely elicits laughter or offers unexpected moments. Typical tropes abound, such as a slow-motion introduction for the attractive girl and interruptions to romantic moments by crude humor. Themes like whether the nerd will win over the popular girl or if the chaotic teacher will cross the line undermine the film’s originality.
One could argue that “Incoming” is a tribute to classic teen comedies. However, it predominantly feels outdated. The film heavily borrows from raunchy teen movies from the late 1990s and early 2000s, such as “American Pie” and “Van Wilder,” which themselves took inspiration from 1980s classics like “Porky’s” and “Screwballs.” Consequently, it lacks any original perspective or idea.
The primary aim appears to be shock value: substituting beer bongs with lines of ketamine and replacing traditional humor with scenes of embarrassing bodily functions in a Tesla. While this could be seen as an evolution in comedy, it ultimately falls short of its goal.
“Incoming” is rated R for strong language, drug use, sexual innuendos, mild violence, and antics reminiscent of “Porky’s.” The film has a running time of 1 hour and 31 minutes and is available for viewing on Netflix.