Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»3179. The To Do List (2013)

    3179. The To Do List (2013)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on December 10, 2020 100-109 mins, 2013, 6 - 7.9, Comedy, Dec 20, Movies Of 2020, Review, Romance, United States
    6.7 Raunchy, but rather annoying
    • Acting 6.8
    • Directing 6.6
    • Story 6.6
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Johnny Simmons, Bill Hader

    Director: Maggie Carey

    Running Time: 104 mins


    The To Do List is an American film about an accomplished high school senior who decides to draw up a list of all the sexual accomplishments she needs to make before she heads off to college.

    I’m not sure whether this film is seeking to be the American Pie for a new generation, or just another throwaway raunchy comedy, but for the most part, The To Do List isn’t a great watch. With a lead performance from Aubrey Plaza that lacks her real charisma and a story that more often proves annoying than funny, it’s far from the farcical romp that it really wants to be.

    However, starting on the plus side, The To Do List at least doesn’t take itself too seriously. That might seem the minimum requirement for a teen comedy, but too many films in this genre go a bit too heavy in the coming-of-age drama, and forget to make you laugh.

    At its heart, this is very much a coming-of-age story, centring on a high school senior’s sexual awakening, but it goes all out with a silly and tongue-in-cheek take on the way teenagers view sex, both as some sort of game and the be-all-and-end-all of their lives.

    As a result, there’s a lot of raunchy comedy here, and if that’s your cup of tea, then I’m sure you’ll have some laughs with The To Do List. For me, however, it came across as a generally middling comedy that, despite having a few memorable gags, is little more than another hackneyed American Pie revival.

    What’s most frustrating is the way in which the film presents its main character, played by Aubrey Plaza, in such an unlikable light. Plaza’s normally lovable deadpan style doesn’t really work in this movie, making her character seem more psychotic than anything else, but the screenplay seems to deliberately make her more and more unlikable, without ever really redeeming herself.

    With the exception of a throwaway line towards the end of the movie, she’s a very one-dimensional person with nothing but sex on the mind, and that’s about it. Of course, that plays into the way the movie pokes fun at teenagers, but it does little to make you ever sympathise for or take an interest in the lead character.

    Overall, I wasn’t overly impressed by The To Do List. A generally middling comedy that regularly proves an annoying watch, the movie is frustrating throughout despite a few raunchy laughs here and there. So, that’s why I’m giving it a 6.7.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    8.0
    Review
    October 8, 20170

    1914. The Bar (2017)

    8.0
    Review
    February 24, 20190

    2466. From Here To Eternity (1953)

    8.6
    Review
    August 6, 20170

    1847. Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989)

    8.1
    Review
    July 17, 20160

    1420. Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans (1927)

    8.9
    Review
    April 2, 20130

    108. Django Unchained (2012)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.