20 2000s Movies That Could Never Be Made Today

Superbad was everywhere in the second half of the noughties, dominating teen culture pretty much as soon as it landed. And given how it nails high school humour and packs so many instant references into its 113 minutes, it’s not difficult to see why.

We join Seth and Evan (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) on the cusp of graduating high school. The boys haven’t exactly made a name for themselves over the years, and are keen to get out there, hit a house party, hit on some girls, and lose their virginity. The resulting night is a cacophony of blunders and missteps, as Seth, Evan, and their friend Fogel (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) try to score some booze, get to the party, and get laid.

It’s American Pie for the Inbetweeners generation, showing just how uncool high school can be, while offering a shot at redemption and a little McLovin. But it’s not exactly au fait with contemporary social mores, with the female characters in the film mostly mere objects or devices, and the language and jokes rife with homophobia. And major studios’ reluctance to embrace this film now is borne out in 2019’s female-directed and female-led Booksmart, which takes the tropes and format of Superbad (and even stars Jonah Hill’s sister Beanie Feldstein) and redresses the balance with a core of inclusivity and gender parity.