Candy Jar
By Reagan Razon - Guest Contributor
Are you a junior who is bored of watching college videos? Or just someone who wants to reminisce on high school years? This is the movie for you. It showcases the cutthroat and stressful high school life of two kids trying to make it to college. The catch? They are both vying for a spot at Harvard or Yale. Bennett and Lona are the two main characters who just happen to be enemies. Predictable I know. What sets this movie apart is that it follows the ins and out of debate preparation and competitions- something that I was not familiar with. While some parts may be inaccurate, it was interesting seeing the different types of debaters. Of course within this storyline, there is love, drama, and disappointments. The classic Netflix Original take on high school life. However, we do get to see the “not so typical” high school student. Both Bennett and Lona are extremely competitive, which has led them to miss out on normal life. While some parts may be cringey, this is a great movie to sit down with family to watch, or watch with your fellow classmates and friends!
logline: Dueling high school debate champs who are at odds on just about everything forge ahead with ambitious plans to get into the colleges of their dreams.
Source: IMDb
My favorite characters:
Helen Hunt as Kathy - kathy was hands down the best character from the show. even her office radiates good vibes as it is covered with an array of different candies! i feel like she really brought the story together, and without her there wouldn’t even be a title LOL
Antonia Gentry as Jasmine - the mysterious rival debater. i think i was supposed to hate her but ended up loving her instead! she has this nonchalant baddie vibe as if she knows she’s the real deal. her passion for the debate topics could be FELT through the screen.
Uzo Aduba as Julia - she plays a totallyyy different person than she does in Orange Is The New Black (crazy eyes). i really enjoyed seeing her as this loving mom who only wants what’s best for her child. sometimes her good intentions were misconstrued by her son, bennett, and i feel like a lot of people can relate to that. Plus: there’s some mom drama.
This movie is rated TV-14. Here’s why:
Language
Something I liked: the way that they showcased “spreading”, aka the act of speaking extremely fast during a competitive debating event, was really cool. It gives viewers who may not know anything about debate a firsthand look at what it actually takes. I could neverrr speak at 400 words per minute.
Where to Watch: Netflix