FilmSnobReviews

Title: You Are So Not Invited to My Bar Mitzvah
MPA Rating: PG-13
Director: Sammi Cohen
Starring: Sadie Sandler, Samantha Lorraine, Sunny Sandler
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins

What It Is: Stacy (Sunny Sandler) is a young woman who’s headed towards her actual bat mitzvah, a day she and her BFF Lydia (Lorraine) have been planning since they were little girls. A day that they’d planned to attend together. When Lydia begins to gain some popularity outside of her friendship with Stacy this throws some wrinkles in their plan. So much of a wrinkle that the aforementioned threat seems like a possibility for two best friends who’ve been peas in a pod since they were conceivably literal tiny human pods. But will they get over they’re pettiness or will their friendship desolve forever?

What We Think: This is genuinely a very funny tween comedy. There’s a lot to like from the narrative standpoint, Stacy and Lydia’s relationship feels authentic and they feel like actual friends. Having Sunny and Sadie’s real dad (actor Adam Sandler) plays their dad also felt real because you know, it is. I can’t say I can relate to being a middle-school girl on the verge of perceived woman hood. That said I felt like I learned a bit more about the importance of the bat mitzvah as am event in a young woman’s life.

Our Grade: B, For what the film is it is pretty good. Sammi Cohen is sort of on a roll here with her feature films. Crush was similar in theme and delivery and Cohen should keep making these sort of films. Adam Sandler is contained enough to not get into his super annoying schtick. He’s just…dad and that really works well here. Looking forward to Cohen’s next piece but otherwise this Netflix comedy will get the job done and if you have a pre-teen tween daughter it might be worth a watch with them.