For the most part, Honor Society is an extremely enjoyable film; it's only in the climax where it falls apart. It seems the director has some kind of bitterness towards men, because of the way every single one of them, especially the male lead, has been portrayed. Honor wasn't exactly trying to be angel to her classmates, she was trying to create a distraction that would affect their studies, so much so that they fall behind in the race to be the best in the class. What happened to them as a result of that was great, and it showed how thoughtful a girl Honor was; but that wasn't her only intention, was it? Wasn't she also trying to sabotage the academic plans of her classmates? Just like our male protagonist, Michael, Honor too had a selfish interest behind making friends with Travis, Kennedy and Gary. So how is it that when Honor does it, she is a hero and we are supposed to rally behind her, but Michael is declared villain, a 'bad person' for doing the same?
I realized there will be a twist in the end; either the three students she marked were never really in the top four of Mr. Calvin, or Michael was also playing a mind game with her. But I was hoping to see a happy ending even after the revelation of their true intentions, because what Michael and Honor had between them was really sweet. Why was it necessary to turn Michael into such a cold hearted person? They were school students, it's understandable if they get angry or feel hurt, but why bring in bitterness and hatred?
The movie is exactly what the trailer promised, a ninety minute fun ride that is extremely engaging and entertaining. With things happening at a brisk pace and Honor constantly breaking the fourth wall, you don't feel like looking away from the screen at any point of time. The writing is sharp, witty and filled with a few surprises. The editor has ensured that you don't find a single dull moment in the screenplay. Considering how wonderful the experience of watching this film was, I find it difficult to understand as to why we don't see more such films get made. I kept thinking of the Emma Stone starrer 'Easy A' while watching Honor Society, that's how long it has been since a movie like this got made.
Talking about the performances, Angourie Rice and Gaten Matarazzo have complete nailed it to perfection. As it is both Angourie and Gaten have extremely likeable personalities, but with this film they have proven that they are much more than that. Gaten Matarazzo's role is very different from Stranger Things here, and he proves that he can portray a grounded and understated character with complete ease if the need arises. Angourie's portrayal of a charming and vivacious Honor doesn't even feel like an act, that's how natural her performance is. Both these young actors are doing such a fabulous job at such an early stage of their career, I just hope they stay focused because they have a really bright future ahead of them if they manage to keep their head on their shoulders.
Honor Society could have been a much better film if only the ending was different. Painting Michael as a bad guy who never cared for Honor, ruined my experience. Even after the twist, they could have given us a happy ending by showing that Michael had a change of heart, just like Honor. Why was it so difficult to show that both Honor and Michael became a better person by the end of the film? The unnecessary feminist angle led to the downfall of what could easily have been a beautiful film.
I realized there will be a twist in the end; either the three students she marked were never really in the top four of Mr. Calvin, or Michael was also playing a mind game with her. But I was hoping to see a happy ending even after the revelation of their true intentions, because what Michael and Honor had between them was really sweet. Why was it necessary to turn Michael into such a cold hearted person? They were school students, it's understandable if they get angry or feel hurt, but why bring in bitterness and hatred?
The movie is exactly what the trailer promised, a ninety minute fun ride that is extremely engaging and entertaining. With things happening at a brisk pace and Honor constantly breaking the fourth wall, you don't feel like looking away from the screen at any point of time. The writing is sharp, witty and filled with a few surprises. The editor has ensured that you don't find a single dull moment in the screenplay. Considering how wonderful the experience of watching this film was, I find it difficult to understand as to why we don't see more such films get made. I kept thinking of the Emma Stone starrer 'Easy A' while watching Honor Society, that's how long it has been since a movie like this got made.
Talking about the performances, Angourie Rice and Gaten Matarazzo have complete nailed it to perfection. As it is both Angourie and Gaten have extremely likeable personalities, but with this film they have proven that they are much more than that. Gaten Matarazzo's role is very different from Stranger Things here, and he proves that he can portray a grounded and understated character with complete ease if the need arises. Angourie's portrayal of a charming and vivacious Honor doesn't even feel like an act, that's how natural her performance is. Both these young actors are doing such a fabulous job at such an early stage of their career, I just hope they stay focused because they have a really bright future ahead of them if they manage to keep their head on their shoulders.
Honor Society could have been a much better film if only the ending was different. Painting Michael as a bad guy who never cared for Honor, ruined my experience. Even after the twist, they could have given us a happy ending by showing that Michael had a change of heart, just like Honor. Why was it so difficult to show that both Honor and Michael became a better person by the end of the film? The unnecessary feminist angle led to the downfall of what could easily have been a beautiful film.