Millennials, specifically GenZ, have radically changed the grammar of dating and ‘falling in love’ phenomenon. Love has undergone mutation to reconfigure and restructure itself with the rapid advent of technology. The postmodernism has the answer to all the archaic and well-established dating culture. Dating was a private and emotional affair dumped in the past century, and it has transcended to frigid and casual date ending in hookups. ‘Swiped’ tries to take a jibe at the callousness of the postmodernist dating mechanism that has inadvertently shunned our romantic feelings.
Though, the satirical theme feels lost in the lustrous teenage narrative that poorly deals with superfluous subplots. Ann Deborah Fishman’s ‘Swiped’ has a bunch of characters from the book “how not to make another teenage cliche movie?” and to make it worse, they all ham at acting.
James (Kendall Ryan Sanders) is your regular computer-geek with specs and buried in his cellphone all the time. He flattering resume consists of 17 mobile apps and call letter from all the leading college in the USA. The financial crisis at home compelled him to join regular college. He shares the room with a womaniser Lance (Noah Centineo) who hates to spell his surname and address while on the date. They both strike a deal; James would make a hook-up app with pre-set of questions in return of Lance taking care of admission fees of MIT.
@IMDbWomen in Swiped are just unnamed objects
‘Swiped’ reduces women to an unnamed object to draw a powerful character-sketch of the one-dimensional characters. The film objectifies the women and subjects them to absurd male psychology that they find acceptable. Women, reduced to bimbo, do not self realise their potential.
It is James who mansplains it in an awkward redeeming monologue, reminding women of their true potential and power. ‘Swiped’ suffers from the same naive and unidimensional understanding of teenage dating problems what Netflix Original ‘Oh, Ramona!’ did last month.
Flawed Characters and redundant subplots
The character of Lance is another major flaw of the film that suffers from a myopic understanding of relationships. It seems the writer has never dated a girl before. His redemption, in the end, feels rushed and contrary to his ideology. The sudden change of ideological believe for character redemption is an easy escape.
The subplot involving the James family feel poorly handled with the unwarranted closure to their chapter. The only good thing about their subplot, and perhaps in the entire movie, is the way it exposes the hypocrisy of the dating world. Men find it far easier to get a girl of any age than women.
‘Swiped’ feels like a lazy film that strings together several ill-conceived ideas from modern teenage life. The satirical aspect of the narrative is lost somewhere in the crowd of abominable characters and subplots.
Swiped Rating: ★★★★★
Trailer
Cast: Noah Centineo, Kristen Johnston, George Hamilton, Kendall Ryan Sanders and Kalani Hilliker
Release Date: 6 November 2018
Language: English
Running Time: 93 minutes
Links: IMDb
Swiped will stream on Netflix from 1st July 2019
