That Awkward Moment (DVD Review)

Starring: Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Imogen Poots
Director: Tom Gormican
Running Time: 91 mins
Certificate: 15
Release Date: June 2nd 2014 (UK)

Jason (Zac Efron) isn’t good with commitment. In fact he isn’t that good at knowing whether he’s dating someone or not, as they tend to emotionally break up with him when he just thinks they’re hooking up. His friend Mikey (Michael B. Jordan) is more settled down, with a wife, job and nice home.

Then Mikey discovers that his wife is cheating on him and suddenly he’s single. Jason and their third musketeer, Daniel (Miles Teller), vow to help him enjoy his newfound freedom, and they all agree to stay single and have some fun. Inevitably though (as this is a movie) Jason almost immediately meets Ellie (Imogen Poots), and after getting over an initial mistake where he thinks she’s a hooker, they start seeing each other. Daniel also has a new beau in the form of the rather posh Chelsea (Mackenzie Davis).

But which is more important, romance or bromance?

That Awkward Moment is a bit of an odd beast. It’s almost as if someone wrote a simple indie rom-com about 20-something life but then realised that wasn’t commercial enough, so they stuffed a 1,001 sex jokes and a gimmicky plot hook in (promising to stay single but then not). Occasionally you hear the echoes of something sweet and thoughtful, but then you immediately forget that because there’s a barrage of sexual humour and the guys being slightly moronic.

The result is a movie that certainly isn’t great, but it is oddly amiable. The main male characters may be idiots but they’re oddly affable ones. It’s a good job too as Jason could have come across as utterly reprehensible, but Efron manages to pull it off through a mix of charm and ensuring his character is more clueless than malicious.

Michael B. Jordan is also good and actually has the most interesting story as a young man who thinks he’s ticked all the right boxes of maturity and responsibility but has to learn that he’s been deluding himself. Teller’s Daniel meanwhile mainly seems to be there because these sorts of movies always have to have three guys (presumably because bromance with just two guys might seem a little too gay).

That Awkward Moment is not that memorable but there are a few good jokes. And if you’ve ever wanted to see Zac Efron’s butt or with a dildo clipped to his trousers, this is the movie for you. It’s likely to keep you amused enough while you’re watching, with the occasional genuinely funny joke and rather sweet moment. Just don’t expect too much.

Overall Verdict: Amiable enough, but stuck between the worlds of mainstream gross-out sex comedy and indie rom-com, and not quite enough of either. It’s not a bad film, but your memory of it probably won’t last past the credits.

Reviewer: Tim Isaac