‘Incoming’ (2024) Review- A Raunchy Teen Comedy That Entertains But Has Little Originality

A group of teens find themselves in a series of increasingly outlandish situations in a bid for popularity and sex.

The synopsis could easily fit into the mold of many raunchy teen comedies. Unfortunately, the new Netflix film Incoming doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from its predecessors. Four high school freshmen, Benj (Mason Thames), Eddie (Ramon Reed), Connor (Raphael Alejandro), and Koosh (Bardia Seiri), are eager to end their first week of high school with a bang at a party thrown by Koosh’s brother. Their goal? To establish themselves as the cool kids for the next four years. However, as often in these films, their night takes unexpected and usually embarrassing turns.

As mentioned above, Incoming hits many of the same beats as its forebearers. A naive lead experimenting with drugs with disastrous results? Check. A popular girl getting ridiculously drunk and relying on the leads to help her get home as she places them in dangerous and disgusting situations? Check. Bullies in desperate need of comeuppance? Of course. We’ve seen it all before and, honestly, done a lot better.

The film mostly succeeds in giving each of the boys a relatable and somewhat believable storyline: Benj is determined to confess his feelings for his sister’s best friend, Bailey (Isabella Ferreira). Eddie aims to prove that he is fun and wild, not the push-over his ridiculous stepfather (Scott MacArthur) believes him to be. Koosh is determined to prove to his older brother that he’s worthy of living up to his legacy as the school’s resident party boy. After getting the nickname “fetus” because of his size, Connor is determined to do whatever it takes to shed the condescending nickname.  Although some might consider the boy’s problems silly, they ring true to the issues of young adulthood.  Everything is magnified and intense and seems much worse than it is.  They are a charming foursome of misfits, and you can’t help but root for them to get what they want.

All of the actors in the film do an excellent job with the material. Although the film has the foursome separated from most of the movie after Act One, it actually leads to some fun moments. For example, when Eddie and Connor are banished from the party due to Koosh’s older brother, it leads to a hilarious misunderstanding in which queen bee Katrina (Loren Gray) thinks they’re her Uber drivers. Alejandro and Reed have great chemistry, making their portions of the film some of the best.

Another shining moment for the film involves Benj and Bailey at a school assembly, without spoiling too much, the film wisely subverts the ‘public declaration of love’ scene in the most humiliating and realistic way. It’s a nice touch and signifies that the film could have taken more risks if it wanted to.

The film also includes a few enjoyable subplots. One follows a lonely chemistry teacher, Mr. Studebaker (Bobby Cannavale), as he parties with his students and manages to teach them various lessons about alcohol consumption. Cannavale’s natural comedic timing and charisma make this part of the film entertaining, and it ends just as bad as you think it will. The other involves Benj’s sister, Alyssa (Ali Gallo), who has recently gotten plastic surgery and is desperate to find out why her ex-girlfriend dumped her.  This subplot, in particular, feels like it never quite lived up to its potential. However, its resolution surprisingly ties in with Koosh’s storyline toward the film’s end.

Overall, Incoming is a watchable teen flick in the vein of Superbad and the American Pie films. Fans of raunchy teen comedies will find a lot to like here, but nothing new.

Incoming is now streaming of Netflix.