REVIEW: Auli’i Cravalho & Rowan Blanchard’s CRUSH is a Fun New Take on the High School Romcom
Everyone remembers their first crush. The awkward conversations, that inevitably resulted in embarrassing moments, to daydreaming about the what if. Everyone knows who that crush was, how that person made them feel, and the choices they made to try and make the crush a reality. In Hulu’s new romantic comedy, CRUSH, we watch the same things unfold.
The story focuses on high schooler Paige (Rowan Blanchard), an artist who is attempting to pin down the moment in her life she loved the most. Why may you ask, well Paige needs to bring this moment to life in the form of an art piece; if she intends to get into her dream art school. As her stress over the piece continues to mount, her school accuses her of being the culprit behind the recent graffitiing of school property. In an attempt to hold off being suspended, for something she didn’t do, Paige joins the track team, but joining the team is easier said than done. You see, Paige has never run a day in her life and her crush, Gabriella (Isabella Ferreira) is one of the captains of the team. Paige has never told Gabriella about her feelings towards her, nor has she ever been able to hold herself together whenever she is around. However, now Paige is hoping that by telling Gabriella how she feels, she will not only make her crush a reality, but she will also finally have the moment she needs to complete her art piece. But things never turn out the way we daydream and it isn’t long before Paige begins to develop feelings towards another teammate on the team, AJ (Auli’i Cravalho), and Paige’s already chaotic life becomes that more stressful.
Directed by Sammi Cohen and written by Kirsten King and Casey Rackham, CRUSH is exactly what you would want out of a high school romantic comedy. The writing is witty, the characters are fun, and the story makes you feel good. Sure, Megan Mullally’s role as Angie (Paige’s “sex positive” mom) can be a little over the top at times, but the writers easily rectify that by having the other characters react the same way the audience does to her lines, with looks of disbelief and comments of “That’s gross.” The writers also do an excellent job in highlighting healthy relationships among the teenagers and not falling into cliché romcom troupes. This movie is all about supporting one another, whether it be platonically or romantically, with out it feeling forced or out of place.
Blanchard and Cravalho were the perfect casting to lead this movie. Not only do the two have great chemistry with each other, but they have great chemistry with everyone they shared the screen with. Teala Dunn, Ferreira, and Tyler Alvarez (Dillion) round out the younger cast and are wonderful alongside Blanchard and Cravlho. Dunn’s Stacey and Alvarez’s Dillon are the type of friends you would want when you are trying to navigate the halls of high school while Ferreira’s Isabella is the popular girl every high school romantic comedy should have in their movies. There isn’t a mean bone in any of these characters and that’s what makes this movie that much better.
The story is a little predictable, but its predictable in the best way possible. Cohen, King, and Rackman have found a way to make this movie its own. The story is a refreshing look at high school romances and the impacts they have. If you are looking for a movie that will leave you feeling good, and a little hopeful when it comes to life, I recommend checking this movie out on Hulu.
Grade: A