Plan B (2021 film)

Last updated

Plan B
Plan B poster.jpg
Official poster
Directed by Natalie Morales
Screenplay by
  • Prathi Srinivasan
  • Joshua Levy
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySandra Valde-Hansen
Edited by
  • Nathan Orloff
  • Brendan Walsh
Music by Isabella Manfredi
Production
companies
Distributed by Hulu
Release date
  • May 28, 2021 (2021-05-28)(United States)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plan B is a 2021 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Natalie Morales from a screenplay by Prathi Srinivasan and Joshua Levy. The film stars Victoria Moroles and Kuhoo Verma. It is titled after the brand of emergency contraceptive, which plays a significant role in the film's plot.

Contents

It was released on May 28, 2021, by Hulu.

Plot

In South Dakota, Sunny, a sheltered Indian teenager, is pressured into throwing a party by her rebellious, outgoing friend Lupe. Though she fears disobeying her mother — who is out of town on a business trip — she agrees in the hopes of impressing and seducing Hunter, her crush. After seeing Hunter leave the party with the more popular Emma, however, she winds up having sex with her friend Kyle, a somewhat eccentric devout Christian — both almost immediately realize the encounter was a mistake.

The next morning, Sunny informs Lupe that she has lost her virginity, but does not say whom to, leading Lupe to believe that she had sex with Hunter. In the bathroom, she is horrified to discover that she never removed the condom Kyle used during intercourse, fearing that she could become pregnant. Informing Lupe, the two set out to the local pharmacy to get a Plan B pill, but are denied. Following Lupe's suggestion, they decide their best option is to drive to the nearest Planned Parenthood — located in Rapid City — using Sunny's mom's car.

Sunny and Lupe get lost on the road and are redirected by a helpful convenience store clerk, whom they inform of Sunny's situation. She suggests they visit her cousin, a drug dealer based in a nearby playground. The girls confront the dealer, who offers them fake IDs in exchange for oral sex, and manage to escape with the IDs and an unmarked "birth control pill" after Sunny accidentally damages his penis. After Sunny falls asleep, Lupe drives to a bowling alley where she hopes to meet Logan — a person whom she met online and has been communicating with frequently. Sunny, while initially reluctant, quickly accepts due to the prospect of meeting Logan and pleasantly surprised to find that Hunter and his friends are at the alley as well. The girls split up — Lupe goes off to meet Logan, and Hunter invites Sunny to a nearby diner. Logan, revealed to be a female drummer, has sex with Lupe in Sunny's car. Meanwhile, after learning that Hunter only left her party to get Emma home safely rather than to have sex with her, Sunny confides in Hunter about her situation. Hunter holds no judgement towards Sunny, sympathizing with her and reassuring her that everything will work out. After Hunter drives her back to the bowling alley, the two kiss.

The girls reunite, but quickly discover Sunny's car (which Lupe left with Logan) to be missing. Despairing, Sunny takes the unmarked "birth control" pill they stole from the drug dealer — later revealed to be Amphetamine — and argues with Lupe, blaming her for their situation. Lupe realizes they can locate the car with a "Find My" app, which turns out to be parked at a nearby house party. Lupe finds and confronts Logan, who insists that the car wasn't taken by her, but by her band's lead singer, Xander. Lupe and Sunny find Xander to be extremely intoxicated. He attempts to attack the girls — they escape, but Sunny nearly runs Xander over. Xander is fine, but disoriented; Logan stays behind to take care of him, sharing a kiss with Lupe before the two part ways.

Back in the car, a now sober Sunny confronts Lupe on why she never told her about her true sexuality. Lupe admits she was afraid it would affect their friendship, which Sunny instantly dismisses as nonsense. Shortly after, Lupe discovers the true nature of Sunny's sexual encounter through a phone call from Kyle. Sunny says she lied because of how much more sexually experienced Lupe seems, which Lupe says is just an act. They agree to stop lying to each other.

Finally, Sunny and Lupe make it to Rapid City's Planned Parenthood, but are devastated to find it permanently shut down. Sunny breaks down emotionally and admits she needs her mother's help. The two drive home.

When they get back, both face altercations with their parents. Lupe is surprised by her father's concern for her. After asking him if he would ever "kick her out," he reaffirms his unconditional love for her and the two embrace. Sunny's mom is initially angry, but her mood softens after a frustrated Sunny rants about feeling the need to be perfect all the time for her. Like Lupe and her dad, the two reconnect, and Sunny admits that she needs the morning after pill, which her mom quickly buys for her.

Cast

Victoria Moroles discusses Plan B in 2021 Victoria Moroles on Dulce Osuna.jpg
Victoria Moroles discusses Plan B in 2021
Kuhoo Verma discusses Plan B in 2021 Kuhoo Verma on Dulce Osuna.jpg
Kuhoo Verma discusses Plan B in 2021

Production

In September 2020, it was announced Natalie Morales would direct the film, from a screenplay by Prathi Srinivasan and Joshua Levy, with LD Entertainment and American High set to produce, and Hulu to distribute. [1] In October 2020, Victoria Moroles and Kuhoo Verma joined the cast of the film. [2]

Principal photography began on September 30, 2020, and concluded on November 10, 2020, in Syracuse, New York. [3]

Release

It was released on May 28, 2021, by Hulu. [4] Internationally, the film was released via Star content hub on Disney+, on Star+ in Latín America, and on Disney+ Hotstar in India and Southeast Asia. [5] [6]

Reception

Critical response

Plan B holds a 96% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 53 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.3/10. The site's consensus reads, "Plan B doesn't overplay its timely message -- and it doesn't have to, thanks to a sharp, funny script and the sparkling chemistry between its charming stars". [7] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 74 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [8]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
2022 GLAAD Media Awards GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Limited Release Plan BNominated [9]
Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Film - Non-Theatrical ReleaseJill Anthony Thomas, Kathleen Chopin, Anthony J. Kraus, Caroline Pommert-AllegranteNominated [10]
Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards Filmmaker on the Rise AwardNatalie Morales (for Plan B and Language Lessons)Won [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Unsaid</i> 2001 film

The Unsaid is a 2001 American psychological thriller film directed by Tom McLoughlin and starring Andy García that was released in 2001. It is also known under the name The Ties That Bind and its working title Sins of the Father. The film was released straight to DVD in the US, UK, and Canada but premiered in theaters in other parts of Europe and Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaimie Alexander</span> American actress (born 1984)

Jaimie Lauren Alexander is an American actress. She is known for portraying Jessi on the TV series Kyle XY and Lady Sif in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), as well as the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020) and the Disney+ series Loki (2021). From 2015 until 2020, she starred in the NBC series Blindspot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peyton List (actress, born 1998)</span> American actress (born 1998)

Peyton Roi List is an American actress. List began her career as a child model for tween magazines and companies before transitioning to acting. List made her acting debut, as a child actress, in the 2008 film 27 Dresses, and played Holly Hills in the 2011–2012 Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series.

<i>Wish Upon a Star</i> 1996 television film directed by Blair Treu

Wish Upon a Star is a 1996 American fantasy comedy-drama television film directed by Blair Treu, written by Jessica Barondes, and starring Katherine Heigl and Danielle Harris. The film focuses on two teenage sisters who magically swap bodies after wishing on a shooting star. The tagline of the film is "I Wish I May, I Wish I Might, Become My Sister For A Night!".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Morales (actress)</span> American actress and director

Natalie Morales is an American actress and director. She starred in the 2008 ABC Family series The Middleman and had a main role in 2009 on the first season of the USA Network series White Collar. In 2010, she appeared in the feature films Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Going the Distance. Morales also had a starring role in the Fox comedy series The Grinder, the NBC sitcom Abby's, and recurring roles in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, HBO's The Newsroom, as well as the Netflix series Dead to Me.

<i>l8r, g8r</i> 2007 book by Lauren Myracle

l8r, g8r is the third novel in a young adult series by Lauren Myracle written entirely as instant messages; the first two are ttyl and ttfn. l8r, g8r is a coming of age novel published on March 1, 2007 by Harry N. Abrams.

<i>Split Image</i> (novel) 2010 novel by Robert B. Parker

Split Image is a crime novel by Robert B. Parker, the ninth and final novel in his Jesse Stone series. It was published a month after his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Moroles</span> American actress (born 1996)

Victoria Moroles is an American actress. She played Andie on the Disney Channel show Liv and Maddie. She has also played Hayden Romero on MTV's Teen Wolf in seasons 5 and 6 (2015–2017). She also starred in the Hulu comedy Plan B, directed by Natalie Morales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashleigh Murray</span> American actress and singer (born 1988)

Ashleigh Murray is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her breakthrough role as Josie McCoy, the lead singer of the fictional band Josie and the Pussycats, on The CW television series Riverdale, which she starred in from 2017 to 2019. Murray reprised her role as Josie McCoy in the Riverdale spin-off series Katy Keene (2020) and returned to Riverdale as a guest star in 2021 and 2023. Murray has also starred in the films Deidra & Laney Rob a Train (2017) and Valley Girl (2020), as well as the television series Tom Swift (2022) and The Other Black Girl (2023).

<i>Stuber</i> (film) 2019 film directed by Michael Dowse

Stuber is a 2019 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Michael Dowse and written by Tripper Clancy. Its plot follows a mild-mannered Uber driver named Stu who picks up a passenger who turns out to be a cop hot on the trail of a brutal killer. Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Jimmy Tatro, Mira Sorvino, and Karen Gillan also star.

<i>Brightburn</i> 2019 American film by David Yarovesky

Brightburn is a 2019 American superhero horror film directed by David Yarovesky, written by Brian and Mark Gunn, and produced by James Gunn and Kenneth Huang. Starring Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones and Meredith Hagner. The plot follows Brandon Breyer, a young boy of extraterrestrial origin reared on Earth who discovers he has superpowers, using them with dark intentions. The film was produced and financed by Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films, The H Collective and Troll Court Entertainment.

<i>Run</i> (2020 American film) 2020 film by Aneesh Chaganty

Run is a 2020 American psychological horror thriller film directed by Aneesh Chaganty, and written by Chaganty and Sev Ohanian. The film stars Kiera Allen as disabled teenager Chloe Sherman, who begins to suspect that her mother, Diane, has been keeping a dark secret about her upbringing. The film has connections to other films by Chaganty and Ohanian and is the second installment in the filmmaking duo's Searching film series.

<i>Deep Water</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Adrian Lyne

Deep Water is a 2022 erotic psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne, from a screenplay by Zach Helm and Sam Levinson, based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. The film stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, with Tracy Letts, Lil Rel Howery, Dash Mihok, Finn Wittrock, Kristen Connolly, and Jacob Elordi appearing in supporting roles. It marks Lyne's return to filmmaking after a 20-year absence since his last film, Unfaithful (2002).

<i>A Teacher</i> (miniseries) 2020 American drama television miniseries

A Teacher is an American drama television miniseries created by Hannah Fidell based on her film of the same name. The series stars Kate Mara and Nick Robinson. It is produced by FX and premiered on sister streaming service FX on Hulu on November 10, 2020. Critical reception to the miniseries was generally positive. The characterization of the two leads, performances, pacing, and expansion over the original were largely seen as improvements upon the film, while the ending was generally criticized for its rushed nature, lack of closure, and simple handling of complex issues.

<i>Sex Appeal</i> (2022 film) 2022 film directed by Talia Osteen

Sex Appeal is a 2022 American teen sex comedy film directed by Talia Osteen and written by Tate Hanyok. The film stars Mika Abdalla, Jake Short, Margaret Cho, Paris Jackson and Fortune Feimster.

<i>The Valet</i> (2022 film) Film by Richard Wong

The Valet is a 2022 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Wong and written by Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg. It is a remake of the French film The Valet (2006) by Francis Veber. It stars Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving, with Max Greenfield, Betsy Brandt, Marisol Nichols, Amaury Nolasco, Carmen Salinas, Noemi Gonzalez, Armando Hernández, Carlos Santos, Ravi Patel, and John Pirruccello in supporting roles. The film is dedicated to Salinas, who died in 2021. The plot follows a parking valet (Derbez) who is hired to date an actress (Weaving) trying to cover up an affair. The film was released on Hulu on May 20, 2022. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>It Was Always Me</i> Colombian television series

It Was Always Me is a Colombian mystery-drama television series, which is produced by The Mediapro Studio for The Walt Disney Company. In Spain and Latin America, the series was released on Disney+ on 15 June 2022.

<i>Rosaline</i> (film) 2022 film by Karen Maine

Rosaline is a 2022 American romantic comedy film directed by Karen Maine, written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and starring Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Kyle Allen, Sean Teale, Christopher McDonald, Minnie Driver, and Bradley Whitford. It is based on the 2012 young adult novel When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle, which in turn was inspired by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

<i>Matched</i> trilogy Dystopian YA romance series

The Matchedtrilogy is a young adult, dystopian fiction series written by American author Ally Condie, set in a centrally governed society. The Society seems to be formed after an apocalyptical global warming event. The novel Matched was published by Dutton Penguin in November 2010 and reached number three on the Children's Chapter Books bestseller list in January. Previously working with a small, Utah-based publisher, Condie took her manuscript to Penguin Random House, after being advised to do so from her director at Deseret Book. This helped the novel reach a national audience. The Matched novel has been optioned to the Walt Disney Company for a film adaptation. Foreign rights were sold to 30 countries before publication. The second book, Crossed, was published in November 2011, and Reached, published November 2012, completed the trilogy.

<i>The Ultimate Playlist of Noise</i> 2021 American romantic comedy-drama film

The Ultimate Playlist of Noise is a 2021 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Bennett Lasseter and written by Mitchell Winkie. The film stars Keean Johnson and Madeline Brewer.

References

  1. N'Duka, Amanda (September 16, 2020). "Natalie Morales To Direct 'Plan B' Comedy For Hulu". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  2. Galuppo, Mia (October 8, 2020). "Natalie Morales-Directed Hulu Comedy 'Plan B' Finds Leads". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  3. "Film and TV Projects Going Into Production - Plan B". Variety Insight . Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  4. Barfield, Charles (May 4, 2021). "'Plan B' Trailer: Natalie Morales' New Comedy Finds 2 Teen Girls On A Search For A Much-Needed Pill". The Playlist. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  5. Lochrie, Conor (May 31, 2022). "Everything Coming to Disney Plus in June 2022". Variety Australia. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  6. Molly Edwards (May 31, 2022). "All the new Disney Plus movies and shows streaming in June 2022". gamesradar. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  7. "Plan B (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  8. "Plan B Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  9. "The Nominees for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards". GLAAD. January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  10. Pedersen, Erik (November 22, 2021). "Artios Awards: Casting Society Sets Nominations For TV, Theater, Shorts & Shortform Series". Deadline. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  11. Shafer, Ellise (November 11, 2021). "Simu Liu, Jude Hill, Greig Fraser Among Honorees at Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 21, 2022.