This has been a fantastic year for comedies, specifically summer comedies. Adults have had films like No Hard Feelings and Joy Ride, but who’s to say that kids can’t have a pretty wild summer, too? Enter The Slumber Party, a coming-of-age film about a group of friends with a very wild night that they can’t seem to remember. Sound familiar?
It’s Anna Maria’s (Valentina Herrera; Black Widow) fourteenth birthday, and naturally, she and her besties Megan (Darby Camp; Big Little Lies) and Paige (Emmy Liu-Wang; Raven’s Home) are going to slumber it out. This birthday is tough because it’s also the weekend of her dad’s wedding. And because her family will soon be blending, she also has to invite her soon-to-be step-sister Veronica (Alex Cooper Cohen) to the slumber party. As a gift to the birthday girl, Veronica hires hypnotist The Magnificent Mesmer (Tituss Burgess; Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) for some party entertainment. Mesmer hypnotizes the teens to live their best lives void of inhibitions until he calls the birthday girl with the trigger word that’ll snap them out of their hypnosis, and they’ll remember everything from the fun night they’ve had. Well, someone forgot to make that phone call.
The next day, Megan wakes to find one of her eyebrows missing. Paige has blood on her hands, literally. Veronica’s clothes are backward, and there’s Nutella on the walls. The basement is trashed, there are baby ducks in the bathtub, and somehow Megan is wearing her crush’s hoodie. Even worse, they can’t find Anna Maria. Now bonded by an unlikely event, the crew has to try and piece together any clues from the night before to try and find their missing friend.
Based on the YA novel of the same name by Jen Malone, The Slumber Party is like The Hangover for middle schoolers. Veronica even carries around a fanny pack similar to Alan’s satchel. It’s funny, not just funny for kids but funny for adults, too. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the one-liners from Veronica, specifically. Newcomer Cohen did a great job at shouldering most of the comedic relief.
Thanks to writer Eydie Faye, Paige carries some of the best one-liners. The script is fresh and fits with this generation while pulling inspiration from classic buddy films we’ve had throughout the years. This makes it one of the most well-rounded Disney originals we’ve had recently. It’s filled with quotables that’ll have younger viewers reciting their favorites long after the film has ended.
For younger audiences, The Slumber Party might inspire them to escape their shell and make memories with their friends. These formative years offer the chance to embrace new relationships and cherish old ones, and the movie showcases how friends can push each other to grow. For adults, the film will evoke nostalgia, recalling the days when they were young, wild, and free, prompting them to reach out to friends who made those moments truly special and cherished.
The Slumber Party is now streaming on Disney+.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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