That awkward moment when you realize the movie you talked highly about and said things like, “It’s going to be one of the best movies of all time”, turns out to be one of the most provocative, suggestive movies ever. The worst part…you are watching this movie with your grandparents.

Now throughout my many years of living, 18 to be exact, I have watched countless movies. Some of these movies I’ve enjoyed, and some made me want to stab pens through my eyes. That Awkward Moment just happens to be one of those movies which not only made me want to stab out my eyes, but also stab out the eyes of every single person enduring the same agony.

That Awkward Moment has a likable cast, led by Zac Efron, Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan, but the movie leans too heavily on cliches.  It is a mixture of every single romantic comedy movie ever made, put on one film reel. As the movie began, I found it hard not predicting–and always getting right–the events that were soon to take place. This made the storyline neither interesting nor fun to follow.

Another thing that didn’t really help the film was the amount of raunchiness and “gags”. Throughout the entire movie the actors and directors tried too hard to make the audience laugh by adding unnecessary scenes, and props for that matter, which could have been left out. Numerous times it felt as if the actors were trying to cram humorous moments down my throat, rather than letting me enjoy it naturally. Though the audience did laugh quite a bit, it was mostly because of the cheap laughs. In the end I still didn’t think it was either funny or enjoyable. The only thing that kept me from leaving the theater at that point was the obligation of writing this review.

Efron was probably a big reason for the disappointment in the movie. Efron’s character didn’t convey any believeable awkward moments, even though he was given plenty of opportunities to do so. He failed to grasp the growth of the character and tried to “up” the R-rated stakes in the movie, with his frequent near-nudity. Efron did fit the role of Jason perfectly but just failed to deliver in the end.

Positive elements came from  one Teller playing the role of Daniel. Teller out shone Efron for numerous reasons; one of those being his ability to capture the awkward moments with ease. His awkwardness, which was called for in his character quite a bit, did not seem forced. He really showcased his acting in a positive way. He was really great to watch, and I would go to other movies he was in.

The car ride home after the movie was probably a more awkward moment for me than watching the movie itself. Due to unforseen complications, I had to get a ride to the movie with my grandmother. Most of the ride home was interrupted by nothing but the sound of our breathing. After almost 30 minutes of silence, my grandmother finally said, “Wow”. Her response not only described her thoughts toward the movie but mine as well. I won’t say don’t see this movie, but I can only give it a mediocre rating. If you are looking for something with a romantic twist this Valentine’s, I suggest you watch the movie with friends and not your grandparents.