Review of Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) by Ben B — 21 Jun 2016

Everybody Wants Some stars an ensemble cast of generally unheard of actors led by Blake Jenner, who is best known for being a longtime cast member on Glee. The film focuses on a baseball team through Jenner's eyes living in a house together and bonding before the semester begins.

Jenner takes a liking to a girl, played by Zoey Deutch, and the two eventually date. This movie is classic Linklater. Like Boyhood, Everybody Wants Some is a coming-of-age movie. The nostalgia is in full-force in this early 80's period piece, from the classic rock music to the disco bars.

The cinematography was also up to Linklater standards with brilliant shots and editing. As for the baseball team, their chemistry really worked. They prank and poke fun at each other like a real group of friends would, and they commonly make everything from girls to house activities a competition.

Jenner does a decent job of carrying the film, but I was really impressed with supporting actors Tyler Hoechlin and Wyatt Russel. This is just a good, fun movie. However, also like other Linklater movies, there isn't a lot to bite off story-wise here.

We see the relationships between teammates develop, but there isn't an overarching plot carrying the movie. The theme of discovering your true self is present throughout different scenes, but nothing ties those scenes together.

Because of this, Everybody Wants Some's legacy will probably be that of a high-quality movie used in a college film study class but not used for home entertainment. Watch it if you're a Linklater fan or a student of film, but don't expect to walk away with more than a fun time.