This was the first time I've ever written about a film. Originally published here.
"Crude, lewd and unbelievably excruciating. Essentially one long, plot-less episode of pratfalls, scatological one-liners, relentless barrages of expletives and hapless attempts at achieving sexual identity, the same jokes repeated ad infinitum. But what did you expect? A deep, multifaceted, psychological thriller? No – what we have here is a big-screen adaptation which sticks entirely to its formulae. Think equally rude spin-off ‘In the Loop’ but as re-made by Borat for adolescents.
‘The Inbetweeners’’ greatest asset has always been its outstanding characterisation – and the film affirms this. Each of the socially inept protagonists – weedy Will (Simon Bird), blockheaded Neil (Blake Harrison), ungracious Simon (Joe Thomas) and wannabe ‘lad’ Jay (James Buckley) – is superb. Simple musings which reflect these characteristics often entertain: for example, Simon’s idea to visit the Minoan palaces and Neil’s retort that “You can see that shit anywhere”, or his later revelation that “G-O-D” is reversible. But it’s the visual gags which provoke the most laughter – be it their ‘Reservoir Dogs’-referencing swagger in Pussay Patrol T-shirts, the hilarious empty club dance routine or (the laughs of disgust at) Neil’s excrement in the bidet. The recurrent nudity is rather unnecessary, and it's a shame that the storyline’s a bit threadbare and the film frequently lulls.
Having just finished their A-levels, the four hit Crete, resembling “the world's shittest boyband”, as Will puts it. The exposition is thus: Simon has split up with his girlfriend Carly and he needs some cheering up. Neil just so happens to have chosen the same resort as said girl and the result is disastrous. There's no coherent plot thereafter, but the ‘hotel’ owner dangling a dead dog on their arrival is certainly portentous – they have a horrendous time. Things do start to look up as they get friendly with a group of girls and the end is remarkable, if conventional: they all find love. Laura Haddock's role as Alison, Will's polar opposite and eventual lover, and Lydia Bewley’s as Jane, Neil’s spitting image and lover, are particularly impressive.
It must be said Ben Palmer has done a pretty chipper job in transposing ‘The Inbetweeners’ from sitcom smash to blockbuster hit. The script, once again courtesy of Iain Morris and Damon Beasley, is sordid and infantile, but that's what drew most of us to ‘The Inbetweeners’ in the first place anyway. A satisfactory valediction to a satisfactory series."
