Never Change! Tribeca Review: This Return to High School Is Exhausting

In the opening minutes of Never Change!, a gag sets up the film’s premise: the fictional class of 2008 has their senior year violently interrupted by a tornado that destroys their school. This catastrophe is played for laughs through a poorly produced, Sims-like simulation of the building being swept away. It managed to get a chuckle out of me, but unfortunately, it was the only laugh during the film’s 103-minute runtime.

Never Change! Tribeca Review

John Reynolds in Never Change! which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 9, 2026.

This movie is the latest from the partnership between Hulu and American High, known for producing quirky, offbeat coming-of-age comedies that have often been successful. Written by John Reynolds and directed by Marty Schousboe, Never Change! draws easy comparisons to earlier hits like Pizza Movie, another quirky tale about high schoolers navigating adolescence through questionable choices. However, this latest film lacks the charm that characterized those previous offerings.

In Never Change!, we follow an obnoxious group of thirty-somethings who go back to high school for a few weeks to fulfill a legal requirement and finally earn their diplomas. It’s a ridiculous premise set in an equally absurd world, and while it seems to highlight the absurdity of these former classmates stuck in a perpetual state of arrested development, Reynolds and Schousboe have assembled a cast of characters that are among the most irritating imaginable.

This dynamic mirrors many modern parody films, like the Scary Movie franchise, which often rely on nonsensical caricatures. The main flaw with this approach is the lack of any characters you can connect with. At first, watching characters act ridiculously might be entertaining, but it soon becomes grating, like a child telling the same joke over and over until you want to scream.

The ensemble cast includes John Reynolds, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Carmen Christopher, Jo Firestone, and Gary Richardson. Unfortunately, the direction fails to harness their potential. Most jokes land flat because they are painfully obvious, and the actors tend to overplay their roles, leading to an embarrassing viewing experience. Gags mostly revolve around excessive swearing or inappropriate punchlines, representing the lowest-hanging fruit in humor and repeated ad nauseam.

There isn’t a single character in Never Change! who displays any hint of sensibility. Without a straight man to provide emotional grounding, the film becomes a chaotic mess where everyone tries too hard to be the funniest person in the room. This gives off a painful vibe, reminiscent of amateur improv performances where the humor feels unstructured and stale. It’s as if Reynolds scrapped the script entirely in favor of improvisation that doesn’t land, further detracting from the viewing experience.

As the narrative unfolds, viewers hope for at least a moment of engagement or sincerity. Instead, we’re treated to a tiresome cycle of annoying jokes, shouting, cursing, and crude sexual references. It becomes so exhausting that by the end, frustration sets in, especially given the impressive comedy talent involved. There might be a meaningful exploration of midlife crises buried within this film, but it never sees the light of day. What remains is a repetitive, tiresome film that offers little more than a series of unfunny moments without any meaningful commentary.

Is Never Change! worth watching?

In the end, Never Change! feels like a missed opportunity. Instead of a clever critique of midlife regression, we get an overstuffed comedy packed with characters no one can relate to or root for. It’s a shame that a film featuring a promising cast and a unique premise ends up being a hollow experience, leaving the viewer with little more than a desire for the credits to roll.

Never Change! premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from June 3 – 14, 2026.

Never Change! Tribeca Review: This Return to High School Is Exhausting