The quirky, underdog competition films are one of the most classic film genres. Films like Pitch Perfect, Step Up and Soul Surfer are all great examples of fun, empowering films that have you rooting for the underdog.
Netflix’s Work It is no different: the film brings a fun-loving, exciting energy that has audiences wanting to dance along with them.
The film follows Quinn (Sabrina Carpenter), an awkward high school senior trying to make her way into Duke University, the college of her dreams. However, when her admission to Duke relies on her performance in a prestigious high school dance competition, she enlists the help of her best friend, Jas (Liza Koshy), and renowned choreographer Jake Taylor (Jordan Fisher) to put together a ragtag group of dancers to take on the best squad in the school.
First of all, when you have names like Carpenter, Koshy and Fisher leading the charge, you know the film is going to be great. Carpenter and Koshy both bring such cute and entertaining performances, and with Koshy’s high energy persona, it’s easy to say she was perfect for the role. Fisher is a powerhouse actor and performer, bringing the heat and professionalism to every project he takes on. He truly is the definition of a triple threat (singing, acting and dancing).
The rest of the cast is also excellent, but it was Keiynan Lonsdale that truly stole the show. He took on such an overdone stereotype of the stuck-up, spoiled, eccentric performer and brilliantly made it original. He has the audience laughing through every single one of his lines.
A lot of times in lower-intensity films like Work It, the dances will seem very forced and unrealistic. However, all of the dances were very natural, captivating and realistic to the characters’ skill levels. This is one aspect that truly sets Work It apart from other films of its genre.
Virtually all of the film seems realistic. First is the dialogue that accurately depicted not only high school vernacular, but made it funny and interesting while doing so. Finally, the costumes feature realistic yet aesthetically pleasing high school outfits as well as dance uniforms for the prestigious dance group and Quinn’s dance group.
In terms of production, the cinematography and screenwriting are extremely well done. The sets are incredible, and the storyline features several montages that don’t appear cheesy or out of place, but actually add a lot to the film.
The bottom line is, the film is formulaic in terms of the genre. However, it’s been proven to be a winning formula. The cast, production and story create a new twist on this formulaic genre, and it’s definitely one of the best films Netflix has premiered this year.
