I was skeptical about what That Awkward Moment had to offer. The trailer was dumb, to put it mildly, and gave no hints as to what the movie was about. As it turns out, there’s so much going on in That Awkward Moment that it’s hard to talk about any of it without giving some crucial detail or spoiler away.
In a shocking twist of fate, this movie was good. Really good. I found myself totally engaged in the film and not just because I was looking at Zac Efron’s toned body. The film had just the right amount of seriousness and hilarity to produce an impressive mix of dramatic tears and side-splitting laughter.
Zac Efron (High School Musical, Hairspray, The Lucky One), Miles Teller (Footloose, 21 & Over) and Michael B. Jordan (The Wire, Friday Night Lights) play three 20-something best friends who are trying to navigate their way through life and love. The premise is simple—every romantic relationship has that awkward moment, the moment where the question “So… where is this going?” is asked, and all the ups and downs that come after that all-important question. What can you do to combat that situation? Stay out of a relationship.That is exactly what these three guys plan to do. They decide to make a pact to avoid getting into any kind of dating relationship and have fun instead.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a romantic comedy if something, or rather someone, didn’t come along to mess up the boys’ pact. And that is where the comedy lies in this movie.
One of the most ridiculous aspects of this movie is Jason’s and Daniel’s roster. Each of their rosters is a list of women with whom they have casual hook-ups, and after a few weeks, they fade them out, bringing along more women.
Zac Efron’s character Jason is supposedly the “typical guy”—not willing to commit and viewing every relationship as purely sexual. Of course, as the movie title implies, he’s going to meet someone who challenges his current lifestyle—enter Imogen Poots’ (Solitary Man, Fright Night) character, Ellie. After an initial attraction, obstacles start popping up that could hinder their potential relationship.
Miles Teller plays Daniel, one of Jason’s best friends. Adorable yet utterly stupid, some of the best dialogue in this film tumbles out of his mouth. At first, he is portrayed as a moron who will do just about anything to get laid, but as the movie goes on, he is confronted with the fact that he is falling in love with someone.
Michael B. Jordan portrays Mikey, Jason’s other best friend. As the most conventionally successful of the three, one would think he’s got it all together. However, when a part of his life falls apart, it is up to his friends to help him through it.
What I liked most about this film wasn’t the comedy or the romance, but, in fact, the relationships. While I was watching the way the characters interacted, I never once thought that what they said or did was out of the ordinary. Everything felt real. In particular, the friendship between Jason, Daniel and Mikey was refreshingly believable. The romantic relationships that the three are caught up in follow a very natural progression and seem authentic. Throughout the film, the audience is wondering what will they choose—the relationships or their original game plane?
Critic’s Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Claire Farrow can be reached at claire.farrow@spartans.ut.edu