The Duff Movie Review

What is your role in your friend group? Are you the sexy chic or hot hunk who makes guys and girls drool or their approachable friend whom people can get information about them? Well, the movie, The Duff, will let you identify who you are as Bianca, played by Mae Whitman, realizes that she is the duff, which they call the designated ugly fat friend, among her group of friends. She is the people inquire if they want to ask Jess and Casey out. She is the one people miss when they greet Jess and Casey. Basically, she is the person in her social group who is less popular and more accessible than the others in the group that even her own crush, Toby, dated and used her to be close to her best friends, Jess and Casey. In essence, the flick is all about how Bianca overcame all these duff stuff.

Actually, we’ve already seen a teen comedy like this. There’s always the mean girl who is the campus queen, the ordinary girl she bully and of course, the handsome guy they both want. And at the end, a prom happens where the guy will confess his love to the ordinary girl, instead of confessing to the mean girl. Sounds like Mean Girl and Easy A, right? It may feature a bunch of cliches but it’s different in some ways. It is direct and clear on what it wants to convey yet the message remains deep and moral. It teaches acceptance on who we are as human beings because in reality, we are all duffs.

I must say that movies are really awesome when they came from novels. Yes, The Duff is from a book with the same title. I’m usually reading books rather than watching their movie adaptation but I just knew it after I watched the film because watching it was totally unplanned. I was preparing to sleep that day after Gandang Gabi Vice, a comedy talk show here in the Philippines, when it showed that The Duff is coming up next. I thought that it’s better to end a day with a flick. After all, it’s my first day of vacation so yeah! Okay, enough with my story! I just want to point out my gratefulness for making the right decision.

The Duff is the kind of flick that you will watch five years from now or even ten years from now as it works to teenagers of any generation because of its relevance and appeal. It’s also a great movie throwback to your high school life because I believe that almost everyone can relate to this. Aside from that, as I said, it’s straight-forward. It’s as straight as how Wesley told on Bianca’s face that she’s a duff. It has an organized story line and catching visuals. I appreciate the modernly vibe of the film as it pops stickers the same stickers we attach on our social media photos.

Lastly, the chosen actors perfectly fits the roles given to them, especially the duff, Mae Whitman. She’s not just good in displaying comic actions but she is natural in every delivery and expression she make. Robbie Amell, who played Wesley, also shines in The Duff. I saw a hint on him saying that he’ll be a star someday. The two of them are so comfortable with each other which enables them to expose the charm and chemistry between them. I won’t forget to mention Bella Thorne, Skyler Samuels and Bianca Santos who also reveal a fine performance.

And to the staff behind this film, kudos!