6.5/10

An innocently rich and predictable gem from up and coming director Lynn Shelton. “Laggies” is one part romantic comedy, one part slick comedy that keeps the audienced entertained enough for 95 minutes, even if we know where the story is going since it hinges on familiar territory. Overeducated and directionless, Megan (Keira Knightley) is in the midst of a quarterlife crisis. Rushed into adulthood with no career prospects, no particular motivation to think …about her future and no one to relate to, Megan is comfortable lagging a few steps behind while her friends check off milestones and celebrate their new grown-up status. When her high-school sweetheart (Mark Webber) proposes, Megan panics and- given an unexpected opportunity to escape for a week – hides out in home of her new friend, 16-year old Annika (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Annika’s world-weary single dad Craig (Sam Rockwell). What really works in this movie is the quick witted humor between Knightley and Rockwell. Sam has always been one of the most charasmatic actors in Hollywood, so he can make even the dryest of characters work. It’s better when he has someone to bounce that charm off of. Knightley gives the kind of performance that makes you roll your eyes at her ignorance at first, but then fall in love with her by credits end. We’ve all been at that position in our lives when we feel like things can or they have passed us by, and the next step is always the most impactful. The comedy in the film works without ever having to prove why it’s Rated R. To be honest, i still have no idea why this film garnered that rating considering there is no nudity and barely any language. Moretz is kind of wasted in the film, as this role feels to little a part for her to be cast in at this stage of her life. One thing that did bother me was everyone treating Knightley and Moretz like there was a 20 or 30 year age difference between the two girls. Knightley doesn’t look old enough to be positioned in this way, so i feel like writer Andrea Seigel must’ve had someone else in mind when casting this role. When seeing trailers for this film, i found myself curious as to where this story was going to go since it didn’t seem Knightley and Rockwell had many scenes together. I now see that the trailer was very misleading, and the film slipped into easy places as to what guy she will end up choosing in the end. That’s all not to say that i didn’t enjoy “Laggies”. I think if the movie was ever on TV i would watch it just to remember some great lines from an actor like Rockwell who actually feels like a real parent. I recommend the film to fans of the romantic comedy genre. I think it’s good, but i wouldn’t spend money to see this at an actual theater, so wait for Red Box. “Laggies” is a post Halloween treat full of healthy subjects with a sweet touch of mentoring to give the audience an entertaining view to remind us that high school were the best years of our lives.