“No Hard Feelings” is a 2023 comedic summer film. The movie follows Maddie, played by Jennifer Lawrence, as she tries to save her childhood home. Maddie is presented with the opportunity to make some needed money from a wealthy couple with a desperate son, Percy. Percy’s parents post an advertisement looking for someone to pretend to date Percy before he goes off to college. The movie follows Maddie along her journey of going on dates with an extremely socially awkward boy while trying to not blow her cover that she is paid to date him. While the plot tends to develop in several directions, Maddie’s main goal is to make enough money to save her home. 

The movie overall is a light-hearted and comedic film, however, it lacks depth within the characters and is quite predictable. Maddie begins the movie as selfish and pessimistic which leaves room for much-needed character development. However, the movie lacked in developing characters and a change was never really seen within Maddie as her main goal was always for her own financial benefit. While Percy did become more outgoing throughout the movie, that was predictable. The film lacked a shock factor or a plot-altering moment. Even though the movie can be viewed as predictable, it was still a fun watch with several moments to laugh out loud. 

The soundtrack to the movie was especially pleasing as it matched the atmosphere shown on screen. The producers incorporated popular songs such as “Maneater” by Daryl Hall and John Oates, and “Hot in Here” by Nelly. Songs played throughout the film added another layer of depth to the movie that made it more personal to the viewers. The addition of upbeat music allowed for the movie to feel more comedic than serious even when unfortunate things occurred. 

Overall, “No Hard Feelings” was a hilarious and fun film to watch on a summer night. While it lacked depth and development, the visuals, audio, and comedy made up for it. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for an easy watch and a good laugh.

On this blog, members of the Carmel High School chapter of the Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists (and the occasional guest writer) produce curations of all facets of popular culture, from TV shows to music to novels to technology. We hope our readers always leave with something new to muse over. Click here to read more from the MUSE Summer Series.