Laggies might be the movie of the Millennial generation. It’s a fantastic look at something that is all too true for most young adults these days; perpetual childhood and living with their parents.
Megan (Keira Knightly) is an overeducated, unemployed 28-year-old. She also lacks any kind of motivation to change all that, despite that fact that she’s lagging behind all of her friends, who are checking off life milestone after life milestone. Then she meets 16-year-old Annika (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Annika’s world-weary single dad Craig (Sam Rockwell).
I love this movie because I feel like Megan is a character that we so rarely see. In a box office stuffed full of Type-A females who only want to get married so they can nag a man to death, Megan is a refreshing chance of pace. She’s a barely lived, world weary slacker who has no interest in moving forward with her life. She’s lazy, unmotivated, messy and broken. Simply put, she’s a lot more real than most of the female leads in movies today.
This is a charming coming of age movie for those who are coming of age a little bit later. The two leads are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Megan has no responsibility while Craig is nothing but responsibility. Megan can’t find a way to move to the next phase of her life, and has to do something stupid to figure it out. It’s a good premise and a sweet story with an edge. For example, Megan meets Annika when she buys her beer and then spends half the night getting drunk with a bunch of 16-year-olds.
But it’s a movie, not a moral lesson. It’s fun, it’s clever and it’s potentially one of the smartest comedies I’ve seen in a while. Not since I saw the seriously underrated Young Adult with Charlize Theron have I seen a broken female lead played so well.
The movie is admirably polished and Keira Knightly was ideal for the lead. The clever way that she has to move backwards to move forwards is quirky, but at the same time a little bit heartbreaking.
It’s a surprisingly socially relevant movie. The fact is, there are many 28-year-olds living like Megan these days. For some, it’s not lack of motivation; it’s just lack of job prospects. For others, the lack of prospects has spawned the lack of motivation. It’s surprisingly easy to get comfortable behaving like a child when you’re an adult. A lot of Millennials and younger will be able to identify with this character.
It’s as inspirational as it is inappropriate and a thoroughly charming find. This is a date night movie for those who find traditional rom-coms not edgy enough. It’s dark enough to keep from being too sweet and clever enough to go after a demographic that is relatively new; post-college kids in the midst of a quarter life crisis.
Laggies was worth the watch and is a great choice if you’re tired of candy floss rom-coms and like a little more edge with your leads.
WE GAVE IT: 4.5 Stars: Official Movie Trailer and Movie Poster Below
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