Rita Moreno is one of Hollywood’s most beloved actresses. Throughout her career, the Academy Award winner has assembled quite the resume. 2021 was quite the year for the actress, with a documentary chronicling her life arrived along with the remake of West Side Story, a film that offers up one of Moreno’s best performances. It was not hard not to be excited about her new movie hitting this year’s South by Southwest.
Despite the anticipation I had, cc
The Prank follows Ben Palmer, a thriving student whose goal is to attain the grades needed to attend his father’s alma mater. Despite these goals, his physics teacher Mrs. Wheeler has other plans when she suspects someone cheated on the AP Physics midterm he needed to submit with his scholarship application. As events transpire, Ben and his best friend, Mei, conceive a plan to frame Mrs. Wheeler for the murder of a missing student. What follows are discoveries that change the trajectory of both Ben and Mei’s friendship and lives.
I am all for horror comedy satires. There is a proper balance in making a satisfying satire (see The Cabin in the Woods, Shaun of the Dead). Unfortunately for The Prank, tonal issues prevent the film from genuinely having anything to say. Throughout the 90 minute runtime, the film jumps in not just in tone but motivation.
Are we supposed to disdain Ben and how far he will go to get his grade? Are we supposed to root for Mrs. Wheeler’s choice to hold the exam from students?
Those are questions that are never truly fleshed out or answered. The film completely shifts its trajectory to a chaotic and frustrating third act. This attempted satire turns into a murder mystery in which the actual killer’s motive is questionable at best. Because of these tonal issues, The Prank never fully delves into any of the characters, which removes any high stakes or the audience’s ability to root for them. Memories of Teaching Mrs. Tingle came to mind as the credits rolled. In a similar fashion to Kevin Williamson’s directorial debut, the film had a ton of potential, but the final product was a misguided mess, and The Prank follows suit.
One noteworthy aspect of the film is that Rita Moreno is electric in the film. She evokes fear and shows a twisted performance that will leave cinephiles longing for a better movie for her. While the film failed to benefit from the arrangements, Moreno’s work excites me for all her future projects, even if the final product ultimately fails to match her talents.
The real Prank in The Prank makes cinephiles think we were getting a horror-comedy gem. But, in reality, the film never captures narrative momentum to assist in its execution.
