No Hard Feelings

 

No Hard Feelings (2023) Review: When Comedy Meets Unexpected Heart

    No Hard Feelings is a 2023 American romantic comedy directed by Gene Stupnitsky and starring Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman. The story follows Maddie, a woman struggling to get her life back on track, who accepts a very unusual job to help a shy teenager gain confidence before leaving for college. What begins as an awkward and outrageous arrangement slowly turns into a funny and heartfelt story about personal growth, friendship, and learning to connect with others in unexpected ways.

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Story Overview

    In No Hard Feelings, Maddie Barker is a struggling woman living in Montauk who is close to losing her home after her car is repossessed and her finances fall apart. While searching for work, she finds a strange job listing from wealthy parents who want someone to “date” their shy and socially awkward son Percy before he leaves for college.

The parents believe Percy has spent too much time focusing on school and not enough time experiencing life, so they offer Maddie a car in exchange for helping him become more confident. At first, Maddie’s bold and outgoing personality clashes with Percy’s quiet and nervous nature, leading to several awkward but funny moments.

As they spend more time together, their unusual arrangement slowly turns into a real friendship. Through their experiences, both Maddie and Percy begin to learn important lessons about confidence, growing up, and understanding who they truly are. 

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My Thoughts

What I Liked

• Performances: Lawrence brings comedy and Feldman does a great job showing Percy's quirky, shy, and awkward side.

• Humor: There are plenty of laugh out loud moments, especially in the awkward early scenes.

• Character Growth: Even with all the jokes, the characters grow and show real emotions. 

What I Didn’t Like

• Comedy Faded:  After a while, the comedy fell a bit short, and I wished they had kept the jokes and energy going throughout the whole movie.

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My Rating

★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)

No Hard Feelings is a fun and unexpectedly warm comedy that shows Jennifer Lawrence’s range and reminds audiences why R‑rated comedies can still be entertaining. While not perfect, it delivers plenty of laughs and a surprising amount of heart that makes it a refreshing watch in a genre that’s become rare. Some jokes land better than others, and a few scenes could have been tighter, but the performances keep the energy high. It’s an enjoyable movie that leaves you smiling and entertained even if it doesn’t quite reach perfection. A solid 4 stars experience that’s definitely worth a watch.

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Film Details

• Director: Gene Stupnitsky

• Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti, Matthew Broderick, Natalie Morales

• Genre:  Comedy / Romance

• Release Date: June 23, 2023

• Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes

• Based on: Original screenplay (not adapted from a book)

• Rating: R