Everybody Wants Some!! is a comedy film by Richard Linklater that follows the antics of a college baseball team in the hours leading up to their first class.
The film follows Jake (Blake Jenner) as he joins a college baseball team in his freshman year. The team all move in to a house together on campus where partying, male bonding, girl-chasing and pranks ensue as the team get to know each other in the day leading up to their first class.
The film stars an ensemble cast of mostly unknown/upcoming actors, but under the direction of veteran filmmaker Richard Linklater, they all put forward a fantastic performance.
The young actors including Blake Jenner, Tyler Hoechlin and Glen Powell and the ten-to-fifteen other cast members are all naturals when it comes to portraying college youth at the most intrepid stage of their lives.
Partying and antics aside, Linklater does try and inject some philosophical discussions into the film to represent the coming-of-age for these characters, though it is a little off overall, considering some of the scenes from this film look like they could’ve come straight out of a Seth Rogen comedy.
When the film does focus on the comedy though, it’s hilarious. It’s mostly comedy of the silly variety, which is common of these types of college-based comedy films.
The other thing Linklater nails in this film is the setting. The film is set in 1980 and it really feels as though we’re transported to that era. The clothes, cars, hairstyles and excellent soundtrack all perfectly encapsulate that period.
Everybody Wants Some!! shines in almost all areas, however it does tend to drag in parts as the film runs for a lengthy 117 minutes. That would normally be fine, but there isn’t a typical narrative in this film as it mostly just follows the baseball team as they visit a few different parties and the interactions they have with each other and people they meet. There’s a love story tacked on as well but it’s mostly under-explored.
The writing gets a bit tacky at times as well, as the film is very self-aware. For instance, there are several times in the film where the characters verbally recount the things that have happened in the movie so far, as if the audience needed to be reminded in case they hadn’t picked up on it yet.
Overall, Everybody Wants Some!! is an excellent throwback to 80’s college-movie comedies which blends intelligent writing with ridiculous comedy, serving up an entertaining piece that’s sure to appeal to nostalgia junkies as well as the modern day comedy fan.
Fun Fact:
According to Richard Linklater, the film is a continuation of Boyhood (2014) in terms of beginning right where Boyhood ends with a guy showing up at college and meeting his new roommates and a girl.
COMMENTS
enjoyable film, good cast