【theatricality of eroticism】

It's not summer movie season until we get a good old-fashioned teen comedy,theatricality of eroticism and Hulu's Plan Bis here to kick things off. Natalie Morales' directorial debut is a road movie with a kind heart, excellent leads, and plenty of laugh-out-loud debauchery.

After having sex at a house party, perennial good girl Sunny (Kuhoo Verma) needs the morning after pill, but is denied purchase by a pharmacy's conscience clause (a real thing!). She and mischievous best friend Lupe (Victoria Moroles) take on the three-hour drive to the nearest Planned Parenthood before Sunny's window for taking the pill closes.

There's a refreshing authenticity in Prathi Srinivasan and Joshua Levy's endearing script. This is not a capital-F film about a capital-I Indian teen having capital-S sex and going on a trip with her capital-L Latina bestie. Plan Bachieves the hallowed representational benchmark of honoring two leads of color in three dimensions, and does so without divorcing them from their cultures orconstantly putting identity at the forefront. Even the best portrayals can miss this mark, so it's worth celebrating.

Lupe's bravado is a front for grief and anxiety, while Sunny is insecure not about her looks or character, but her inexperience. The nerdy, sexless Asian teen has been the butt of too many jokes on and off-screen, but the intellectually confident version with a sex drive to boot is far more compelling (see also: Blockers).

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Sunny (Kuhoo Verma, right) is denied a morning after pill in South Dakota, so she embarks on a three-hour drive with best friend Lupe (Victoria Moroles) to get the pill. Credit: brett roedel / HULU

Plan Bis not your typical high school movie, in that it spends little time on the girls' school life and classmates. The casually racist mean girls never get their comeuppance and there are no academic or social milestones for the girls to scale in their journey. This movie is about two friends solidifying their love through a series of bizarre vignettes, from a gas station encounter with an eccentric clerk (Edi Patterson) to a shady transaction in a public park, a concert at a bowling alley, a party, and a fight.

Even without the strongest foundation, Plan Bis a delightful joyride. The jokes are weirdly specific and infinitely funnier for it. Morales plays with different styles, including a party time lapse, car singalong montage, and obligatory drug trip — none too overbearing but still enjoyable. The twists are small, speedy, and satisfying, shocking either the audience or characters as the road trip extends from day to night and back again.

It's a star making turn for Verma, best known until now for a small part in 2017's The Big Sick. Her eyes have more comedic range than most actors on their best day, deployed in full force for joke after joke with renewed hilarity each time. She and Moroles share a wondrous chemistry; even though Sunny is the de facto straight guy, she's responsible for their entire wacky escapade and the actors constantly subvert their expected dynamic. They also shine in more vulnerable individual moments, with crushes and parents and eventually with each other.

Plan B is a movie for when you miss shenanigans, when you know only your best and weirdest friend can help you through the night or when you don't quite fit in, but know your time will come. It's a lovingly weird adventure from powerhouse creatives of color, and it's just the beginning.

Plan Bis now streaming on Hulu.

Related Video: What to binge on the best 30-day streaming service free trials

Topics Hulu

• Life
• Deals
• Games
• Digital Culture
• Shopping
• Social Good
• Entertainment
• Tech

• Will Oracle take over TikTok? Trump says he'll make a decision in 30 days
• Margot Robbie and Kylie Minogue show support for marriage equality in Australia
• 5 Snapchat settings you should change right now
• James Corden silenced Kim Kardashian West haters with one tweet
• Super Bowl LIX livestream: Watch Eagles vs Chiefs on Tubi
• Chrissy Teigen defends Kim Kardashian and explains the weirdness of fame
• 7 bee species listed as endangered for the first time in U.S.
• Luke's Diner from 'Gilmore Girls' is coming to your town
• Best laptop deal: Get the 14
• Facebook gives WhatsApp the Snapchat treatment, too

• Father's Day; Church Going by Lorin Stein
• Contact by Adam Gilders
• Like Minds by Sadie Stein
• A Week in Culture: Barry Yourgrau, Writer, Part 2 by Barry Yourgrau
• A Week in Culture: Peter Terzian, Part 2 by Peter Terzian
• Poem: Because my daughters are growing, by Tayve Neese
• It Never Gets Old by Louisa Thomas
• A Week in Culture: Barry Yourgrau, Writer by Barry Yourgrau
• A Week in Culture: Matthew Specktor, Writer and Editor by Matthew Specktor
• The Punk Ballerina by Miranda Popkey

• Celtic vs. Bayern Munich 2025 livestream: Watch Champions League for free
• Londoner spends 15 hours stitching the greatest 'Arthur' meme of all time
• Google to release Daydream VR headset Tuesday, report says
• 20 Halloween costumes that are also great dad jokes
• SpaceX is so close to turning its rocket headquarters into an actual city
• James Corden silenced Kim Kardashian West haters with one tweet
• 20 Halloween costumes that are also great dad jokes
• 'Call of Duty' legend Phillip 'Phizzurp' Klemenov dies in car accident
• Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers 2025 livestream: Watch NBA online
• LeBron James just endorsed Hillary Clinton for president

• How to quit social media: This Gen Z
• Fan in gorilla suit and 'All Lives Matter' shirt runs onto field during NFL game
• Trump's possible 18
• Rudy Giuliani: Trump a 'genius' for possible 18
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for January 28: Tips to solve Connections #127
• Apple might release an iPad mini 'Pro'
• Little Prince George is beyond cute as he says goodbye to Canada
• Little Prince George is beyond cute as he says goodbye to Canada
• Trump who? Tech giants join massive effort to uphold Paris Agreement
• Google’s big hardware moment is also its biggest test