The Prank

The Prank is a 2022 American comedy horror film directed by Maureen Bharoocha and written by Rebecca Flinn-White and Zak White. It stars Rita Moreno, Connor Kalopsis, and Ramona Young. The plot follows two students who falsely accuse their teacher of murder because she threatened to fail them. The film premiered at South by Southwest on March 13, 2022.

This article is about the 2022 film. For the 2016 film, see Prank (film). For the Chowder episode, see The Prank (Chowder episode). For other uses, see Prank (disambiguation).

The Prank
Directed byMaureen Bharoocha
Written by
  • Rebecca Flinn-White
  • Zak White
Produced bySteven J. Wolfe
Starring
CinematographyMathew Rudenberg
Edited by
  • Matt Diezel
  • Sarah C. Reeves
Music byDeron Johnson
Production
companies
  • XRM Media
  • Sneak Preview Entertainment
  • Inphenate
Release date
  • March 13, 2022 (2022-03-13) (SXSW)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Premise

Ben needs good grades to earn a scholarship. His widowed mother Julie is unable to pay for his college tuition. In school, his physics teacher Mrs. Wheeler threatens to fail the entire class after she discovers that someone cheated on the midterm exam. Frustrated, Ben and his best friend Tanner come up with a plan to falsely accuse Mrs. Wheeler of the murder of a missing student.

Cast
Rita Moreno at the 2014 GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles, California.
Rita Moreno plays the strict Mrs. Wheeler

Production

The Prank was announced on August 9, 2021, when it was reported that EGOT winner Rita Moreno would star alongside Connor Kalopsis, Ramona Young, Keith David, Meredith Salenger, Jonathan Kimmel, Nathan Janak, and Kate Flannery.[2] Filming began in Los Angeles in August 2021.[3][4]

Release

The film premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on March 13, 2022.[5]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 41% of 22 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.4/10.[6]

Todd McCarthy at Deadline Hollywood criticized the performances, screenplay, and direction, calling it "unspeakably lame" and writing, "If you go to see this, The Prank's on you."[7] The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney noted its inconsistent tone, the chemistry between Kalopsis and Young, and Moreno's performance.[8] Writing for Variety, Owen Gleiberman complimented Moreno's performance and the beginning, which he compared to the "good parts" of Don't Look Up, for starting "off as a fresh, funny riff on high-school society in the age of toxic cynicism". However, he criticized the twist for leaving "any true connection to the real world behind."[9] In a positive review, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists said some viewers would call it over-the-top, but that it was a "wild ride" that "puts the casual cruelty of youth in its crosshairs."[10]

References
  1. Fleming, Ryan (March 15, 2022). "The Prank Director Maureen Bharoocha And Cast On Acting Alongside Rita Moreno: 'There's No One Like Her' – SXSW Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  2. D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 9, 2021). "Rita Moreno To Star In Dark Comedy Feature The Prank". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  3. Bharoocha, Maureen (August 15, 2021). Had the time of my life steering the ship with this incredible crew!. Retrieved September 1, 2021 – via Instagram.
  4. Bharoocha, Maureen (August 25, 2021). Honored to direct these legends. Rita Moreno and Keith David are awe inspiring to say the least. Retrieved September 1, 2021 – via Instagram.
  5. Cordero, Rosy (March 11, 2022). "The Prank SXSW Clip: Rita Moreno Scares Up A Fright As Mean High School Teacher". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  6. "The Prank". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  7. McCarthy, Todd (March 13, 2022). "SXSW Film Review: Rita Moreno In The Prank". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  8. Rooney, David (March 13, 2022). "The Prank: Film Review | SXSW 2022". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  9. Gleiberman, Owen (March 16, 2022). "The Prank Review: Rita Moreno Shows Another Side in a Minor but Engagingly Nasty Teacher-From-Hell Comedy". Variety. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  10. Heller-Nicholas, Alexandra (March 14, 2022). "The Prank (SXSW 2022)". Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
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