Incoming (2024)
Directors: Dave Chernin, John Chernin
Screenwriters: Dave Chernin, John Chernin
Starring: Mason Thames, Ali Gallo, Isabella Ferreira, Ramon Reed, Raphael Alejandro, Bardia Seiri, Bobby Cannavale
Incoming follows four freshman boys as they enter high school full of excitement, insecurity, and hormones. Benj (Mason Thames), Connor (Raphael Alejandro), Eddie (Ramon Reed) and Koosh (Bardia Seiri) arrive eager to make an impression, forge friendships and pursue first loves. At the center of the story is Benj, a wide-eyed, romantic fourteen-year-old who is infatuated with Bailey (Isabella Ferreira), his sister’s savvy sophomore friend. Benj’s feelings are earnest and amplified in the way only a Hollywood depiction of early adolescence can be — intense, dramatic, and often awkward.
The film’s high school is deliberately exaggerated. Almost everyone on campus seems impossibly attractive, excessively privileged, or overtly rebellious. The usual spectrum of high school archetypes — nerds, jocks, outcasts — is largely absent. Instead, the setting teems with characters who appear to have endless access to wealth and risky behavior: luxury cars, steady supplies of party drugs, cosmetic procedures and sprawling homes set up for massive parties. That caricatured environment is a clear stylistic choice, but it leaves the world feeling unreal and one-dimensional.
While Incoming employs many familiar teen-comedy tropes — the underestimated protagonist, the unattainable crush, the obnoxious rival, the goofy sidekick and an off-kilter adult — it rarely rises above the clichés. The film clearly nods to boundary-pushing comedy traditions, and it’s not surprising that the writers, who have experience with edgier television comedy, bring a similar tone here. That sensibility can work when characters have been given time and depth, which allows audiences to understand their vulnerabilities beneath the gross-outs and bad behavior. In this film, however, the characters remain largely flat and cartoonish, leaving little room for the audience to empathize.
A central problem with Incoming is that it constantly asks viewers to like the characters but does not give them the emotional groundwork needed to earn that affection. The film offers quick moments meant to humanize the teens — a sentimental crowd reaction to a romantic gesture, a fistfight that resolves in awkward camaraderie, and a few thin moral asides about being yourself — but those touches are rarely supported by meaningful character development. Over an 80-minute runtime, most of the cast behaves poorly with only sporadic glimpses of warmth, and the script often relies on the audience’s willingness to forgive or fill in the emotional blanks.
Supporting performances do provide some highlights. Ramon Reed and Raphael Alejandro deliver scenes with natural energy and comedic timing, and Alejandro’s confident presence feels like a promising talent to watch. Their subplot, free from the heavier demands placed on the main romantic arc, allows them to lean into absurd and gross-out moments without needing major character transformations.
Despite attempts to subvert expectations, the film ultimately lands as another variation of the boy-wants-girl formula — a familiar trajectory that rarely surprises. Toilet humor and shock value punctuate many scenes, but they do not replace the need for a compelling arc or meaningful stakes. The script rarely gives its characters significant obstacles to overcome; achieving a kiss at a party and insulting a step-parent figure do not amount to a satisfying emotional payoff. As a result, the film struggles to create a genuine rooting interest or lasting resonance.
Visually and tonally, Incoming aims for irreverence and an in-your-face comedic style, but the lack of depth in characterization and narrative undermines those ambitions. Moments of charm and humor are present, and a few performances stand out, yet the overall impression is of a movie that skims the surface of teenage life without committing to the emotional complexity that could make its risk-taking worthwhile.
Score: 10/24
Rating: 2 out of 5.
Recommended reading: Consider exploring other recent comedies that balance boundary-pushing humor with well-rounded characters and stronger emotional arcs for a more satisfying viewing experience.