What happens if you mix 'Mean Girls' with Lindsay Lohan and 'Cruel Intentions' with Reese Witherspoon? Perhaps the authors of the new teen comedy 'Do Revenge' from Netflix asked themselves this question. If you want to know what else this genre can o...

School days aren't always pleasant. Sometimes it's a period when a psychologically (and intellectually) not fully formed person has to face hellishly serious and difficult questions. For example, how to get revenge on an ex who publicly humiliated you. That's the (primary) motivation for high school student Drea (Camila Mendes), who devises a perfect revenge plan. Her partner in 'crime' is Eleanor (Maya Hawke) — an outwardly unremarkable girl who doesn't seek attention and also holds a grudge over a few past events. But the closer the long-awaited retribution, the more everything goes off the rails.

Netflix loves teen projects, but unfortunately, most of them are pretty empty mass-market fare. A banal plot, flat characters, hackneyed moral truths, and trendy pop music. The trailer for 'Do Revenge' made it seem like another typical teen flick on this streaming service. But director Jennifer Robinson's teen comedy has something to surprise viewers. Her film is a mix of all the good things you could pick out from 'Mean Girls', 'Cruel Intentions', or 'John Tucker Must Die'. The result is a pleasant nostalgic vinaigrette in modern realities, set to tracks by The Cranberries, Meredith Brooks, and Fatboy Slim.

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But this comedy doesn't just look to the past; it also looks to the present. With zest, irony, and sometimes even mockery, the film touches on many traits of modern society: Greta Thunberg, vegans, men oppressed by feminists, emotional girls as hysterics, and the good old elite educational institutions as a measure of intelligence — all of this gets skewered (quickly and neatly).

Of course, the film also includes discussions about patriarchy, betrayal, racism, female sexuality as a weapon for self-affirmation, and (where would we be without it) LGBTQ+. But these themes weren't presented as a moralizing lecture head-on, but rather as another side of the coin in a conversation about how important it is to be yourself, accept and love yourself, and not be led by others' opinions. Maybe this theme has already become cliché in cinema, but it hasn't lost its relevance.

'Do Revenge' offers a decent psychological portrait of American youth. When school is a battlefield, as Maya Hawke's character says, it very accurately describes what's happening on screen, where few people think about studying. At the same time, the actors are clearly enjoying filming. Camila Mendes plays a similar type here as in 'Riverdale' (but that doesn't stop her from having fun), and Ethan Hawke's daughter's character largely mirrors Robin Buckley from 'Stranger Things'. Together, the actresses create great on-screen chemistry as bosom buddies in misfortune, ready to do anything for revenge.

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Austin Abrams is interestingly transformed here; you might remember him from the cute rom-coms 'Dash & Lily' and 'Chemical Hearts'. Sophie Turner is delightful here in her overacting and posing (finally, she gets to fool around). But perhaps the main queen of the school prom, even if only for a few scenes, is Sarah Michelle Gellar. As soon as she appears on screen, it immediately evokes 'Cruel Intentions' and the vibe of the 2000s.

When it comes to the plot, 'Do Revenge' can surprise you with a couple of twists. However, all the excitement from the authors' attempt to do something interesting fades away in the last ten minutes or so. The ending, unfortunately, couldn't withstand the pressure of all the director's ideas and falls into a saccharine and banal resolution.

To sum it up, 'Do Revenge' is neither good nor bad; it's just a teen comedy. If you like them, you'll like this one too. But if you don't watch it, you won't miss much, though know that the cutest character in the film is actually Maya Hawke's character's lizard.

P.S. The comedy has an age check. If you recognize the Taylor Swift song, just accept it.