Night School (2018) Movie Review
Night School (2018) Movie Review
I went into Night School expecting basically nothing. The trailers, besides the fact that they featured Fat Joe’s “Lean Back,” looked like trash. I didn’t have faith that Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, who I both had previously found funny, could make the movie good. It looked like a spiritual sequel to movies like Central Intelligence and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and not one that I’d necessarily like to see. I wouldn’t have seen it, either, if it hadn’t been for some friends of mine who invited me to watch it. And so I sat down and prepared myself for two hours of cringe.
The first sign that I would like this movie is how it started off playing “So Fresh, So Clean” by OutKast, which I almost started singing along to (slightly overrated but still a classic). Then Kevin Hart showed up with cornrows looking like a fool, and part of it won me over right then and there. Let me just say, this movie is not bad. It’s not even funny-bad. It is downright hilarious. I was laughing pretty steadily throughout the movie. And it’s not like the actual quality of the film totally sucks… while formulaic, it has its mind in the right place. It has a couple of positive messages, and isn’t exactly mind-bending, but it’s deeper than the 3-foot pool.
It’s perfectly enjoyable. I think that even people who really dislike dumb comedies won’t mind this one. I wouldn’t even really call it “dumb,” it just won’t satisfy anyone’s needs for satire or dark comedy. It’s slapstick, it’s character comedy, it’s mostly what you’d expect (except the movie is somewhat good). Believe me, you could do worse. For one thing, Night School doesn’t rely on Kevin Hart being short to make easy jokes, which about 90% of Kevin Hart movies make the mistake of doing. And I’m really glad to say that Tiffany Haddish’s character isn’t used in an annoying way how it could’ve been. Her performance is actually fairly good, and I will continue to look for her new theatrical content (although that Nobody’s Fool movie looks not-so-great). Saturday Night Live cast member Taran Killam shows up to play the movie’s school principal, which was basically perfect casting. The comedic chemistry between Hart, Haddish and Killam is definitely there, and I honestly could’ve watched a movie just starring them just being themselves.
The basic plot of Night School is more complex than it probably needs to be. Teddy (Kevin Hart), a grill salesman, can’t truly support his glamorous lifestyle with a woman who’s out of his league (Megalyn Echikunwoke). Somehow he manages to burn down his workplace, and then can’t get a good job anywhere else because he flunked out of high school. So he secretly takes night school classes to get his GED — a good plan, except he also has dyslexia and dyscalculia. So everything is not all right for him. His fiance doesn’t know he’s even going to night school, and of course the principal of the school is Teddy’s decades-old nemesis. Watch as Teddy ruins lots of things and it turns out happy in the end, as all comedies that don’t call themselves “dark comedies” do.
Night School definitely delivered. It came through. I can’t really talk too much trash about this movie because I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are a couple of plot holes and there are a few plot lines that really weren’t necessary, though. This movie didn’t need to go all out like it does, and I think some people looking for a moderately dumb movie will be surprised by Night School’s humor and wit. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its stupid moments… I really wish people will understand soon that watching shy, uptight, or dumb characters break loose by doing embarrassing dance moves is not funny. It just has no potential to be funny. Please stop acting like it is original or is worth laughing at. And putting it against your second OutKast song of the movie doesn’t help. (Seriously, OutKast should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they changed the game).
Safety Chart:
Violence: 3/10- Obviously it’s not very violent but there are a couple moments of cartoon violence.
Language: 6/10- There’s a good amount of profanity, including racial slurs.
Drinking/Smoking: 3/10- Not enough to remember much, but there is some social drinking.
I’m serious when I say that Night School isn’t a bad movie. It’s not super intellectual, obviously, and it shouldn’t be. If you sit down to watch it expecting a masterpiece then you’re watching the wrong kind of film. Like, what do you even want from this movie that it doesn’t give you? Good chemistry between leads? Check. Funny jokes? Check. A complex enough plot? Check. Fun soundtrack? Check. Memorable moments? Check. Don’t hate on a movie just for what it is and what it’s supposed to be. Night School is supposed to be silly. It’s funny and enjoyable and that’s what matters. Because of that, I’m giving it a B as a grade. Go see it if you like comedies, and also shoutout to Fat Joe.
