Director: Ari Sandel
Stars: Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Bianca A. Santos, Skyler Samuels, Ken Jeong, Nick Eversman
After finding out that she’s been labelled the DUFF (designated ugly fat friend), Bianca (Whitman) tries to revamp her image with the help of lifelong neighbor Wes (Amell). However, by doing so she inadvertently goes from being noticed by no-one to being the laughing stock of the school. As she struggles with her self-image she tries to endure the last few months of high school, while also attempting to pursue the dreamy musician Toby (Eversman).
I honestly wasn’t expecting The DUFF to be as good as it was. I went in thinking that it would be a standard high school movie but it actually has a lot of heart. Whitman is adorable and charismatic as Bianca, and the only suspension of disbelief needed is to think that she would go unnoticed. She shares great chemistry with Amell, and while the plot is predictable it hits all the requisite beats, and the performances are so good that it makes up for the familiar journey.
The script is packed with jokes but they’re not mean-spirited and crude like a lot of teenage comedies. This film has a good sensibility about it and has a good message at its core. Not being in high school myself I don’t know if the term DUFF is an actual thing, but I think a great many of us can identify with feeling invisible at some point during our lives. At first I had a problem with the term, but the film goes to great lengths to explain that it doesn’t necessarily mean you are ugly or fat, it’s a general term for the friend who fades into the background in their group.
One of the main things I liked about The DUFF is that it somewhat subverts the usual trope of graduation being seen as the most important part of a person’s life. This films shows how shallow that belief is, and that there is actually a life after high school. The main message of the film is that it’s important to define yourself and try to not get so caught up in what other people think of you. It’s not an easy thing to do, but I think it’s important to be told that, especially for younger people who are brought up in a world where cyber bullying is a thing. One of the central plot points is that Bianca gets shamed after something she does goes viral and is shared all around the school, so everyone hears about it quickly, and although she literally has the whole school laughing at her she’s able to find the strength to deal with it.
So although the plot is somewhat predictable and formulaic it has a heartfelt message and the performances elevate it. I loved this film and I think it’s fantastic, and it definitely should not be missed. I have a feeling that it may go under a lot of people’s radars because of the setting, but it’s a mature film and you should definitely check it out.
