Film review: Bad Neighbours 2
Film & TV
‘Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising’ is a routine follow-up to the 2014 comedy starring Zac Efron, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, with plenty of funny material.
The favourite airbag gag is back bigger and better, and I lost count of the times Efron lost his shirt. The comedy relies on bawdy humour, with the opening scene alone being about vomit, poo and dildos.
This film is set a few years after the first movie: Teddy (Efron) is unsuccessful, unmotivated and craving the days that he led his fraternity before neighbours Kelly and Mac (Byrne and Rogen) successfully got rid of the frat house.
To Kelly and Mac’s horror, a new sorority, Kappa Nu (led by Shelby, played by Chloe Grace Mortez), has set up next door with the intention of breaking the Greek system rule which states that unlike the male fraternities, American sororities are not allowed to throw parties. Kappa Nu employs Teddy as a party consultant, just as the neighbouring couple are trying to sell their house.
Kelly and Mac hit a snag when they realise they can’t sell their home until it makes it through escrow (which leads to a long-running gag about not understanding what escrow means). They just need to make it through 30 days without the buyer pulling the pin, which of course kick-starts their plot to get rid of Kappa Nu.
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This sequel focuses more on gender inequality, criticising the Greek system rule governing sororities. It portrays frat parties as sexist and “rapey”, which is the main substance of the first movie.
A far more sentimental comedy, Bad Neighbours 2 still has plenty of jokes to keep the laughs coming.
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