Hard Feelings review: German adult comedy has heart

Hard Feelings (Hammerharte Jungs) is a German teenage comedy film that follows two best friends, Charly and Paula, navigating sexual awakenings in high school. In a curious twist of fate, their genitals start talking to them after an incident, causing their lives to derail. It is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Hard Feelings introduces Charly, a regular kid who his peers often bully as they call him “Charly no dick”. 

In a flashback, we see that some boys at the pool pulled down his trunks when they were kids and started calling him the name due to his small penis. Unfortunately, it stuck through the years. 

Enter Paula, Charly’s best friend and also a sexually awkward teenager who misses her late father. The two are virgins but find solace in each other’s company as they share everything. 

One night while hanging out on the roof, the two are hit by lightning. They suffer no injuries, but Charly has a rude shock awaiting him. The next morning he realizes that his penis can talk to him. 

Elsewhere, we discover that Paula has also been talking to her vagina (vulva, to be more precise) after the lightning incident. 

Now, the two must explore this bizarre new development while navigating new highs and lows in school life. 

Performances

Hard Feelings is all about Tobias Schäfer (Charly) and Cosima Henman’s (Paula) chemistry on screen, and the duo carries this film. It is not easy to act convincingly while pretending to talk to your genitals. 

Schäfer embraces the persona of a bullied and frustrated high school teenager and convincingly transforms into a brat when he starts getting attention. His performance translates his internal emotional hurricanes to the audiences in a very convincing manner, making him extremely relatable.

Henman matches him at every step. She is cool in her way but is conflicted equally the same. She aptly showcases Paula’s fears and insecurities, especially when she faces harassment. 

Tom Beck and Monika Oschek voice the talking penis and vagina and add a layer of sexual comedy to the film. The supporting cast, including Louis Jérôme Wagenbrenner, Samirah Breuer, and Vivien König, are worthy additions. 

Positives

Hard Feelings is an intelligent film. Apart from the sexual comedy, it does well to convey the turmoils teenagers face when trying to keep a check on their raging hormones.

The plot is relatable, and straightforward, and doesn’t stray away from its peculiar yet tasteful premise. 

It also brilliantly sheds light on external issues like family separations, the pressure to have sex, and visual appearances without being preachy about it. 

Another intelligent move by the makers is an accurate representation of both boys and girls in this tumultuous sexual and hormonal situation. The clearest example is Charly being lauded for losing his virginity, whereas Paula being shamed for having sex. 

Negatives

At some moments, Hard Feelings can feel like a cheap comedy. Certain scenes and dialogue choices give it a vibe of a badly made comedy film, filled with crass jokes.

Unfortunately, this takes away from the true genius this film portrays. Luckily, such moments aren’t many and the film gets back on track pretty quickly. 

Verdict

Hard Feelings is a must-watch. The comedy and nudity may be a bit much for some, but the issues it tackles and the themes it portrays are relatable and important on many levels, especially for teenagers. 

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