“Prom Dates” bets on teenage doubts in a cool script

By Eduardo de Assumpção*

“Prom Dates” (USA, 2024) Walking confidently through the high school halls is the Hulu original, directed by Kim O. Nguyen, and written by DJ Mausner. Exploring this timeless space of teenage doubt, “Prom Dates” creates a thoroughly entertaining, honest and hysterical all-night romp.

At thirteen and looking ahead to college, best friends Jess (Antonia Gentry) and Hannah (Julia Lester) make a promise that they will have the best prom night ever, no matter what. As the years pass, they remain inseparable, but discover that as the night of their prom approaches, nothing is shaping up to be the most excellent night they ever hoped for.

Jess is with a boyfriend who cheats on her, while Hannah hasn’t been able to tell the guy she thinks they’re dating that she’s a lesbian. In fact, she still hasn’t told anyone because she herself only realized it the night before the dance.

When they both find themselves without a prom date, they take matters into their own hands and look for the best options that will give them the quintessential experience they have envisioned for the past four years. Mausner’s script captures the essence of teenage issues through his fresh, contemporary lens.

The same setbacks and mishaps faced by Hannah and Jess in “Prom Dates” are like those that faced the protagonists of 2019’s “Fora de Série”. It’s when Hannah and Jess are forced to face the inevitable changes that are coming that the The heart of “Prom Dates” beats stronger and, more precisely, succinctly states the tension of growing up.

Lester steals the spotlight with a comedic light performance. However, Gentry holds his own, forming a symbiosis with Lester to create a dynamic, cohesive friendship that shines throughout the film.

*Eduardo de Assumpção is a journalist and responsible for the blog cinematografiaqueer.blogspot.com

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