“Incoming,” a raucous teen comedy directed by Dave and John Chernin, begins with a familiar scenario: a socially awkward teenager, played by Mason Thames, rehearses a romantic speech in front of a mirror. This opening gag sets an unpromising tone, suggesting that the filmmakers opted for the easiest jokes rather than creative material.
The film’s narrative, which follows high school freshmen through a wild house party, lacks originality, featuring predictable scenarios and minimal humor. Common tropes include slow-motion montages to introduce attractive girls and crude interruptions during romantic moments. Viewers might wonder if the nerd will win over the cheerleader or if the wild teacher will go too far, often punctuated by clichéd sound effects.
While one might argue that “Incoming” parodies previous teen comedies as a form of affectionate homage, the execution feels unoriginal and stale. It draws heavily from late 1990s and early 2000s teen comedies like “American Pie” and “Van Wilder,” which were themselves inspired by earlier classics such as “Porky’s” and “Screwballs.” This reliance on past themes leaves the film lacking a fresh perspective or groundbreaking ideas.
The movie does offer some modern twists, replacing beer bongs with lines of ketamine and swapping out traditional crude jokes for more shocking scenarios. However, these changes do not elevate the film much beyond its predecessors.
“Incoming” is rated R for strong language, drug use, sexual innuendo, mild violence, and raunchy antics reminiscent of “Porky’s.” The film runs for 1 hour and 31 minutes and is available for streaming on Netflix.