NO HARD FEELINGS
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti, Matthew Broderick, Natalie Morales, and Scott MacArthur
Director: Gene Stupnitsky
AMARÚ
No Hard Feelings could’ve been disastrous, but it has two major strengths that prevent such a fate: Jennifer Lawrence thriving in her role, and the heart necessary to sustain these raunchy comedies. It’s nice to see Lawrence seemingly care about a studio film again, and she uses her renewed ferocity to make both the comedy and drama work. The plot is predictable, but her convincing chemistry with co-star Andrew Barth Feldman made the outlandish bits funny and the emotional beats believable. No Hard Feelings is a pretty good time, and I’d love to see Lawrence continue this lane with an even better script.
JACOB
No Hard Feelings has all the right tools to be a great summer studio comedy, but it doesn’t seem to know how to use the tools in question most effectively. Despite the sheer star power of Jennifer Lawrence in the lead and Andrew Barth Feldman’s subtly charming performance, the film’s execution is almost too tame for what the premise promises. Even with an undercurrent of sweetness lining its story, the film is largely devoid of laughs, apart from a few well-timed one liners. That said, the film is competently made, and it will remind audiences that Hall & Oates’ “Maneater” still slaps.
QUENTIN
While I would have liked to see this R-rated comedy lean more raunch than heartfelt, I can’t deny that I laughed enough at No Hard Feelings to make it a worthwhile watch. Jennifer Lawrence fully commits to the shenanigans, especially during a beach fight scene, but also manages to make the more emotional beats hit home too. I’ve never been a huge J-Law fan, but it was nice to see her actually enjoying herself on screen instead of chasing statues, and when paired with Andrew Barth Feldman, that vibe creates considerable charm. Overall, this is probably among better pure comedies I’ve seen since 2020’s Palm Springs.
ADRIANO
R-rated comedies are where I initially found my interest in film, so this film piqued my interest based on that alone. Sadly, No Hard Feelings didn’t give me the ride I was hoping for. I laughed a couple of times, but a good chunk of the jokes didn’t land for me; most of my laughter was due to Jennifer Lawrence’s commitment rather than the writing. I also didn’t buy the relationship at the center, partly because the story just kinda trudges along to the next plot point without properly developing its characters. I appreciate the fact that it exists; I just wish it was better.
