Movie with Abe: Do Over

Do Over
Directed by Ryan Francis
Released October 11, 2016

Who wouldn’t want to have a second shot at getting it right the first time? That sentiment could apply to nearly anything in life, but in this case, it’s all about losing your virginity on prom night. While hardly the most sophisticated subject, this comedy doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not, laying all its cards on the table as four friends who haven’t necessarily gone too far try to recapture the glory of high school and rewind their sex lives back to where they started, for whatever it may be worth.

“Do Over” opens in a bar with a long conversation among reunited friends. Sean (Drew Seeley) has just moved back to his hometown after making it big in the tech industry, and he is warmly greeted by his old friends Anthony (Jonathan Bennett), Ryan (Zack Lively), and Angela (Amy Paffrath). Their conversation is full of nostalgia for a time long gone since the other three haven’t moved very far since then, and it naturally turns to the fateful night where they all lost their virginity. Egged on by Angela, Anthony and Ryan decide to contact the women they slept with for a second shot, and Sean can’t resist the opportunity to contemplate reconnecting with Gina (Gina Field), who he still can’t stop thinking about after thirteen years.

What ensues is a silly series of interactions as the three men search for the women they aren’t so sure they wowed. A combination of overeager matches all too willing to engage spiritually, awkward attempts to restart relationships, and shocking revelations that cause immense soul-searching leads the three men in totally different directions. It may not be the most intellectual or complicated film, but it is a fun, often entertaining, and generally enjoyable riff.

B-