The Reel Review
Frustrated by her lack of sexual experience and convinced that learning a certain sexual technique will land the boy of her dreams, a teenage virgin hires a dancer at the local strip club to sexually educate her. Chloe Fineman and Sam Morelos star in this teen comedy.
In her directorial debut, comic actress Jillian Bell (Brittany Runs a Marathon, Rough Night) and her fellow writers trot out lots of familiar tropes – as well as a more feminine homage to Tom Cruise in Risky Business. While the film may see itself as another Booksmart, it’s really more of an only slightly better than average throwback to silly 1980s romcoms, with raunchy humor tucked into a sweet, albeit predictable and forgettable story.
As the two leads, Morelos injects her character Abby with enough nerdy likability to make you root for her, with Fineman as the dancer who’s rough exterior masks insecurity and fear of rejection. The completely ridiculous finale is cute enough to make Summer of 69 a mildly entertaining crowdpleaser.
REEL FACTS
• Los Angeles native Sam Morelos is best known for her recurring role of Nikki in the 2023 comedy series That ’90s Show.
• Chloe Fineman has been on Saturday Night Live since 2019, known for her impersonations of such celebrities as Jennifer Coolidge, Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon and Kim Cattrall. Her next film is the upcoming Freakier Friday.
• Summer of 69 was filmed in and around Syracuse, New York, including the Diamond Dolls strip club.
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