“Sierra Burgess is a Loser (2018); but is the film?” A teen movie review.

I just KNOW you’re all familiar with Shannon Purser.

If not, let me refresh your memory; she’s the actress who plays Barb in Netflix’s “Stranger Things” who became a walking meme when something spectacular happened to her character. (Look at me! Avoiding spoilers! For the minority of people who have not seen Stranger Things) People felt injustice towards her character’s story line, and thus, a meme was born…

Well anyway, her new role sees her flung from the 80’s and into the present. She stars alongside Noah Centineo, who has recently starred in “To all the boys I’ve loved before” which has completely blown up on what seems to be every form of social media.

However, what’s  Sierra Burgess is a loser about?

The film is pretty much a generic teen movie, however, it’s weird in this day and age to have a film that seems so outdated. It has everything that seems to be controversial from old movies. Where’s the progression?

I’ll start with positive vibes.

The acting is pretty good, with RJ Cyler as a personal favourite, the lighting of the film gives an impression of an independent movie and there’s some good singing from Shannon Purser herself. There’s also a “girl supports girl” friendship that blossoms, albeit under weird circumstances.

Now, the negatives?

There’s just so much controversial stuff happening in the film, and not even the kind that gets you talking. It’s sort of the stuff that gets disregarded and taken as the societal norm, but as a feminist, I can’t help but think of the uproar if the protagonist had been male, and the love interest female.

So much of the story-line is absurd. The premise of the story is the same old “ugly dorky clever girl doesn’t get attractive jock”. Originality? I know right… but the weirdness doesn’t even begin there.

Sierra Burgess catfishes a jock called Jamey, Noah Centineo, using the portrayal of a girl she doesn’t like  Veronica (of COURSE  it’s the pretty bitchy cheerleader, who else would it be?)

Anyway, the two become friends, using the old “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” technique. With Shannon Purser (Sierra) tutoring Kristine Froseth (Veronica) and in turn she helps her to catfish her love interest Noah Centineo (Jamey).

It all gets even weirder when Veronica and Jamey go on a date. Veronica is acting as Sierra. Which doesn’t even make sense at this point, because Sierra and Jamey have spent hours talking on the phone; how has he not recognised her change in voice? She also spends the whole date on her phone texting Sierra for the answers to his generic “First date” questions. Jamey doesn’t even notice (I presume in his ignorance he thinks the date is going just splendid as he is blind sighted by Veronica’s beauty).

Okay, now for the part in the film I find incredibly creepy. Veronica puts her hands over Jamey’s eyes during the date and then quickly switches places with Sierra. Sierra then kisses him and then runs away before he can see her true identity.

Now I mean, come ON. That is incredibly creepy. Who would do that? It goes beyond creepy to slimey and assault. It’s possibly the most problematic scene in the film.

It’s ending is somewhat of a cliché too. Hurrah! The handsome jock can see past the “ugly/loser” exterior of Sierra Burgess and loves her for what she truly is! … apparently not the cat fishing liar who also pretended to be deaf when her true self, Shannon Purser, had come face to face with him earlier in the film…

In a less TL:DR version. It’s the story line that lack substance. It’s weird, borderline creepy and the same generic “Jock fancies nerd, eventually comes to terms with it”.

                     4.5/10