While Blockers did well at the box office in its 2018 release, it didn't necessarily go on to be the quotable cult classic that fans thought it should.
In the film, the winning trio of Leslie Mann, John Cena and Ike Barinholtz play hapless parents who discover their BFF daughters have all made a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. The parents go on a hilarious quest to stop their kids from going through with the deed.
In addition to being a gut-bustingly funny comedy, Blockers has been rightly praised for its messages about sex positivity and acceptance, lessons largely learned by the parents. For viewers looking to enjoy more raunchy sex comedies with a surprising amount of heart, check out these 10 recommendations.
Wedding Crashers (2005)
The parents' search for their daughters in Blockers leads them to several high school parties that they're clearly not invited to. If you cracked up at their antics for gaining admittance into these parties — who can forget the beer funnel scene? — you'll likely enjoy the antics of Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers.
Like the teenage girls on prom night, sex is at the forefront of the crashers' minds. Their whole game is crashing weddings to sleep with as many desperate bridesmaids as they can. While this premise is somewhat problematic in today's society, the lessons these guys learn about themselves gives the movie some sweetness, in a similar way as the parents' arc in Blockers.
Love, Simon (2018)
One of Blockers' most praised storylines involves one of the girls, Sam (Gideon Adlon), a closeted lesbian who still plans to lose her virginity to a boy so she can be part of the pact with her friends. In the end, she doesn't go through with it and comes out to her dad (Barinholtz), who is truly touched that he is the first person she told. Later, Sam comes out to her friends as well, who are warm, loving, and accepting.
There's still a tragically low number of mainstream movies about queer teens, which is what makes Love, Simon stand out. It's the first major Hollywood film featuring a gay teen protagonist. Like Sam, Simon is a generally happy kid who's scared to come out. His story is positive and hopeful, and the movie is reminiscent of John Hughes classics, making it a must-watch.
American Pie (1999)
Any discussion about films involving teens losing their virginity isn't complete with the '90s gross-out classic, American Pie. The movie centers around a group of high school guys who all vow to lose their virginity before they graduate.
While the premises of American Pie and Blockers are quite similar, the movies themselves are starkly different. American Pie largely backs up the idea that these guys need to objectify women and use them for sex to be considered real men. On the other hand, Blockers treats sex as something deeply personal. But despite its dated ideals, American Pie is still worth a watch. There's humor to be had, and it makes for a fascinating contrast to Blockers.
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
While the Blockers girls are eager to lose their virginity as part of a last high school hurrah, in The 40 Year Old Virgin, Andy (Steve Carell) is determined to lose his because he's a middle-aged man.
Both films are brutally honest about the fact that the world of sex can be intimidating, and The 40 Year Old Virgin is sympathetic to Andy's being too scared to broach it. And while sex isn't something to rush into, like the girls in Blockers want to do, avoiding it based on fear has its own negative consequences. If this makes The 40 Year Old Virgin sound heavy, it's not. Steve Carell and the supporting cast give hilarious performances, and viewers looking to laugh at some dirty jokes and scenarios won't be disappointed. Plus, Blockers' Leslie Mann gives a scene-stealing cameo as Andy's would-be conquest.
Sisters (2015)
Though he got his start in wrestling, John Cena has proven himself to be one of Hollywood's funniest working actors, rivaling The Rock onscreen maybe even more than he does in the ring. Cena steals every scene he's in, particularly as a tattooed drug dealer in Sisters.
This film finds two adult sisters (Tina Fey and Amy Poehler) who are crestfallen to learn that their parents are selling their childhood home. They decide to throw one last blowout party to say goodbye to the house, and invite all their old friends from high school. Like in Blockers, while the goal is simple, things go off the rails rather quickly with hysterical results. Both Blockers and Sisters perfectly capture the need to have that one last youthful experience before the opportunity is lost for good.
Superbad (2007)
Blockers may not have become the teen classic it deserved to be, but it's still in league with movies that did, like Superbad.
Besties Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) agree to supply the booze for a big end-of-year party for Seth's crush (Emma Stone). Even with the help of the insanely quotable Fogel (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), the guys find it's a tall order.
Like the Blockers teen, the Superbad protagonists also want to lose their virginity before high school is over. The films each contrast the need to fit in during one's teen years with the importance of individual, personal experience, and how the journey to that discovery can be filled with raunchy laughs.
Neighbors (2014)
Though the relationships in Blockers aren't antagonistic, there's a clear divide between the parents who want their kids safe and under their control, and the kids who want to break free and have their own experiences.
The generational divide is even clearer in Neighbors, where it's more of a battle line. Married couple Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) are floundering as new, sleep-deprived parents when a loud fraternity moves in next door. A full-fledged, gloves-off battle for the neighborhood ensues.
While audiences may have been divided about the Blockers parents' goal to stop their daughters from having sex, everyone will be rooting for Mac and Kelly to take down the frat, all while having hilarious, sexy thrills along the way.
Good Boys (2019)
Crude humor isn't often thought of as "sweet," but together, those two concepts can be a winning combination. In Blockers, viewers not only got to laugh at John Cena's interpretation of sexualized emojis, but also happy-cry at Leslie Mann eventually accepting her daughter's choice to have sex with her boyfriend.
For those who love that blend of crass yet warm-hearted humor, there's no better film to watch next than Good Boys. It follows the misadventures of three tween best friends (Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon) who go on a quest full of misadventure as they learn how to kiss in preparation for their first "kissing" party — the middle school equivalent to losing one's virginity.
Like how Blockers shows that girls want sex just as much as guys, Good Boys shows that boys don't have to be grunting gorillas to crave physical intimacy.
The To Do List (2013)
In Blockers, the girls all want to lose their virginity on the same night so they have one big milestone memory to have together before going off to college. The To Do List features dorky high school graduate Brandy (Aubrey Plaza) seeking as much sexual experience as possible to become appealing to her crush (Scott Porter).
In older teen fare like American Pie, teenage girls were seen as conquests to be had, but movies like Blockers and The To Do List depict their young female characters as well-rounded people with sexual agency, even if they're misguided at times.
Booksmart (2019)
Another teen movie about crass lasses with big hearts, Booksmart is a movie that any Blockers fan will want to watch over and over.
BFFs Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) are psyched to graduate high school and go to Ivy League colleges, only to discover that their "cool kid" classmates got into the same institutions yet still managed to make the most of their high school experience. Molly and Amy are desperate to cram four wasted years of not partying into one epic night.
Whether you were rooting for the parents or the teens in Blockers, everyone will cheer on the Booksmart girls as they let their hair down and learn about who they are as women in the process.