The Re-Education of Molly Singer – Film Review

Andy Palmer‘s film The Re-Education of Molly Singer tries to combine a tale of personal redemption with well-known college comedy cliches. The film in which Britt Robertson plays the title role, promises a quirky journey of self-discovery and change. Sadly, what follows is a mediocre story held together by clichés that leaves a lot to be desired.

The main character of the film is Molly Singer, a hard-partying lawyer who must fight to keep her job. Though initially intriguing, the plot develops predictably and strictly follows the tried-and-true pattern of college comedies. When it comes to a setting that should have been ripe for investigation and depth, Molly chooses to reenroll at her old university. The film, however, wastes this chance by using college life as merely a stage for tired jokes and unoriginal storytelling.

The superficial script restricts Britt Robertson’s efforts as Molly to a certain extent. She seems to be straining to give a flat, undeveloped character life, and this comes across in her performance. Ty Simpkins gives a passable performance as Elliot, one of the most socially awkward movie characters you’ll see in a while, failing to pique the audience’s interest or empathy. A crucial component of any successful comedy is the chemistry between the two leads, but in this case, it fails, further lessening the impact of the film.

A lot of the supporting cast, which includes Holland Roden as Trina, Cierra Ramirez as Lindsay, and Nico Santos as Ollie, injects some life into the otherwise uninteresting story. Santos, in particular, is able to occasionally inject humor, but these occurrences are infrequent. The dialogue between the characters feels forced and unconvincing, and their interactions lack authenticity. The humor attempts frequently fall back on childish antics and cheap laughs, failing to connect with a more mature audience.

The film’s portrayal of college life is disappointingly one-dimensional. The frat brothers are portrayed as predictably drunk, the hall monitors as stereotypically stuck-up, and the antagonist, an old enemy of Molly, is reduced to a caricature with no discernible sense of danger. The campus setting, which could have been used to explore themes of friendship, identity, and growth, is instead reduced to a number of tired scenarios that fail to hold the audience’s attention.

The film’s inability to establish true emotional stakes is among its biggest flaws. Elliot’s transformation from social outcast to campus hero and Molly’s struggle to keep her job are presented in such a formulaic way that they fail to arouse genuine interest from the audience. The characters’ emotional arcs are shallow, making viewers uninterested in what happens to them. Because of this, the film’s attempts at sentimental scenes come off as phony and manipulative, failing to elicit the desired emotional response.

The pacing is also erratic, with some scenes feeling hurried and others dragging on unnecessarily. These discrepancies are not evened out during editing, which makes for a confusing viewing experience. It is difficult to stay interested because of the narrative’s lack of cohesion, which frequently results in moments of boredom.

The Re-Education of Molly Singer struggles to transcend its stilted college comedy formula. Despite the potential of the premise, the movie lacks originality, substance, and sincere humor. Although sincere, the performances are hampered by a poor script that doesn’t give the actors enough to work with. The film’s antics might provide a brief moment of amusement for viewers looking for a lighthearted, mindless comedy. But those hoping for a more substantial and profound cinematic experience will probably be disappointed. Audiences are left with a forgettable and unremarkable viewing experience as The Re-Education of Molly Singer ultimately fails to deliver the in-depth, compelling narrative it promises.