Netflix’s New Teen Comedy Is The Closest We Will Come To A Superbad Sequel

Netflix has a long list of a variety of movies coming in 2024, and among them is Incoming, which will be the closest we will get to a sequel to Superbad. While many genres go through good runs and not-so-good ones, the branch of teen comedies is one that tends to keep its relevance and popularity despite many failures. Netflix has its own catalog of teen comedies, both licensed and original, and joining the latter is Incoming, written and directed by Dave and John Chernin in their feature-length directorial debut.

Incoming follows friends Benjamin (Mason Thames), Connor (Raphael Alejandro), Eddie (Ramon Reed), and Koosh (Bardia Seiri), who are about to enter high school. Of course, with that come various struggles, concerns, and social pressure, so when Koosh’s older brother throws a high school party at their house, the four friends decide to attend. What follows is a series of chaotic events at the party, while Benj does his best to get closer to his crush. The premise of Incoming isn’t anything new, and it might be the closest there will ever be to a sequel to Superbad.

Netflix’s Incoming Sounds Like A Modern Version Of Superbad

Superbad Was Released In 2007

The chaotic situations in which Benj and his friends get involved during their first high school party in Incoming sound very similar to those in Superbad. Directed by Greg Mottola and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Superbad follows high school seniors Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera). Before they graduate, Seth and Evan want to party and have sex, and so they plan, along with their friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), to attend a party at the house of Seth’s crush, Jules (Emma Stone).

What follows is a series of funny and chaotic events as Fogell bonds with the police officers who could have arrested him for using a fake ID, Seth and Evan crash another party to take their alcohol, and their moves on their respective crushes don’t go as they hoped. Superbad was a critical and commercial success, and it’s now regarded as one of the best comedies and teen movies of the 2000s and one of the best high school movies of all time.

At the end of Superbad, Seth and Evan reunited with their crushes at the mall, and though that could have set up a sequel, Superbad never got one. Due to their same themes, settings, and overall premise, Incoming could be the Superbad sequel that never happened or a modern version of it, using the comedic elements that once worked in Superbad but in a modern context.

Read more

Why Superbad 2 Never Happened

Superbad continues to resonate with audiences, but a sequel will never happen. Co-writer Seth Rogen doesn’t want to mess with perfection.

Netflix Is Smart To Help Revive Raunchy Teen Comedies

A Specific Type Of Comedy Has Seen Great Success Lately

As mentioned above, teen comedies are still pretty popular, but a specific type has found great success lately. Recent teen comedies labeled as “raunchy” due to their type of humor, themes, and more have earned the praise of critics and viewers, giving new life to this sometimes messy genre. One of the biggest recent successes in this type of teen comedy is Bottoms, directed by Emma Seligman. Bottoms follows two high school senior girls who set up a fight club based on a lie as a way to get closer to their crushes, who were both on the cheerleading squad.

Bottoms was a critical success and has a 90% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising its humor and story. On Netflix, Do Revenge is another teen comedy with a similar style. Do Revenge is the story of popular girl Drea, who wants revenge on her boyfriend, and new student Eleanor, who is hunted by a rumor, so they team up to go against their tormentors. Do Revenge holds an 84% Rotten Tomatoes score, with most praise going towards its comedy. Netflix seems to be continuing this path with Incoming, and whether it succeeds or not, it will help keep this comedy subgenre alive.