Looking back on Seth Rogen‘s earlier career, did anyone think he’d be part of a cast of a Best Picture nominee like “The Fabelmans“? I mean, sure, yeah: Rogen’s proven repeatedly that he has the acting and writing chops to be taken seriously in the movie industry. For every forgettable comedy like “Observe And Report” (or raunchy one like “Pineapple Express“), Rogen has also been part of estimable, all-time classics, like his acting debut “Freaks And Geeks” or 2007’s “Superbad.”
But leave it to Rogen to throw down the gauntlet. The AV Club reports (via a new interview with People) that Rogen thinks “Superbad” is the apex of modern high school movies. And on top of that, no other film in the genre released since “Superbad” comes close to it. In a story about his “Fabelmans” co-star, Rogen said, “What’s crazy is that Gabe LaBelle is like, 19 years old, and his and his friends’ favorite movie is “Superbad.” So it never changed for some reason.” Then comes Rogen’s bold assertion: “No one’s made a good high school movie since then.”
So let’s unpack that for a moment: has there been any good high school movies since “Superbad”? Of course! Just to rattle off a few: “Lady Bird,” “Dope,” “Easy A” (which stars “Superbad” co-star Emma Stone), the “21 Jump Street” movies (with “Superbad” co-star Jonah Hill), “The Edge Of Seventeen,” and, arguably, “The Bling Ring,” “Sing Street,” and “Submarine.” But do any of those capture the same timeless charm of dweeby, horny adolescent dudes like “Superbad” does? Not quite.
The high school comedy with the closest resemblance to Rogen’s film is undoubtedly Olivia Wilde‘s 2019 film “Booksmart,” which is basically “Superbad” for girls. But does being similar equate to being better or equal to? That’s something for fans to decide, but Rogen’s claim does provide some food for thought. Did the high school movie peak with “Superbad”? Maybe it did for a particular brand of teenage boy, but there have been plenty of other flavors of high school comedies, ranging from raunchy to not-so-raunchy, since that film came out.
But don’t expect Rogen to return to the “Superbad” well any time soon, as he likely feels similar to that movie as he does about “Freak And Geeks.” As to whether he’d ever be part of a sequel to that short-lived but beloved series, Rogen said, “I don’t think anyone would do it. It’s so rare that you do something in your career that is actually just viewed as good. I know enough now not to f*ck with that, to just let it be good and not try to go revisit it. And just let it exist.”
And so does “Superbad” exist as the apparent highest echelon of teen comedy. So the question remains: will any future high school movie come to knock Rogen’s film off that prestigious pedestal?