The original Bad Neighbours – in which a young, no-longer hip, dope-smoking couple (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) had to deal with a frat house next door – was a surprise delight, managing the tricky act of being dumb in a very smart way. Thankfully, this sequel manages to pull off the same trick: it’s a few years later, our heroes have just sold their house and have 30 days before the sale is final, and the absolute last thing they want is anything to go wrong. So of course everything does.
A group of girls led by Shelby (Chloe Grace Moretz), appalled by a double standard that prevents sororities from holding parties and creeped out by the frat parties they have to go to, set up their own sorority next door with the help of frequently shirtless one-time frat boy Teddy (Zac Efron). Many hijinks ensue. The gross-out stuff is smart, the smart stuff is stupid, pretty much everyone is equally dim-witted in a comedy way (there’s a hilarious “there’s no ‘i’ in sorority” debate) and there’s no real bad guys, which results in a free-wheeling charm that gets it over the occasional flat patch. Old folks versus the youth: in this comedy, everybody wins.
Reviewed by Anthony Morris
