The humble sex comedy has been a staple part of the genre for decades, but the misses tend to outweigh the hits when it comes to quality. 2014’s That Awkward Moment may have been a certifiable box office hit after earning over $40 million on an $8 million budget, but it ended up falling into the most blatant and easiest trap to avoid.
Writer and director Tom Gormican (who would go on to helm The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, whip-smart comedy done right) set out to subvert the standard formula audiences had gotten used to seeing in their horny comedies. Instead, the plot is equal parts flimsy and signposted from the beginning, leaving the charismatic cast floundering as a result.
To be fair, the stellar ensemble do their best to elevate the material as much as they can, but that was the least to be expected from the likes of Michael B. Jordan, Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Imogen Poots, Mackenzie Davis, D.B. Woodside, and other reliable talents. In the end, though, a 22 percent Rotten Tomatoes score summed up the general malaise towards That Awkward Moment, even if the user rating is over twice as high at a still-poor 46 percent.
Forgotten comedies can often end up circling back around and finding a newfound appreciation on streaming years after the fact, though, and that appears to be what’s happening with That Awkward Moment as we speak. Per FlixPatrol, the handsomely charming array of familiar faces and promise of raunchy romps have elevated the middling motion picture onto the HBO Max Top 10 in the United States, although we’re not sure how long it’ll keep it up.