Trailer for Jennifer Lawrence’s return to the big screen in No Hard Feelings is giving grooming

By Mason Berlinka

Published Mar 15, 2023 at 01:04 PM

Reading time: 2 minutes

42056

There once was a time when Jennifer Lawrence was everywhere. From winning our hearts in Silver Linings: Playbook to her subsequent roles in The Hunger Games and X-Men franchises, the actress was truly taking Hollywood by storm.

After a brief hiatus from cinema following 2015’s disgusting celebrity nudes leak, and a few poorly received films, Lawrence has since been building back her presence through streamer features like Don’t Look Up. We’re happy to finally see her back on the big screen, but was an Uber driver giving off grooming vibes really the best role for the 32-year-old to pick up?

The new film, No Hard Feelings, from director Gene Stupnitsky, sees an Uber driver (played by Jennifer Lawrence) seeking a new car after hers is repossessed. Her solution? A Craigslist ad from so-called “helicopter parents,” wanting their son to get laid before heading off to college, offering a new car to anyone who can date and successfully seduce their introverted nerdy son. A 19-year-old Lawrence’s character describes as “unf*ckable” in the movie’s recently released trailer.

While it may seem humorous on the surface, the film’s debut trailer was filled with red flags. Mainly in that the son has been cast to look deliberately youthful and young. You would not assume that he is 19 on a first glance, he’s giving the appearance of a 17-year-old at best. Deliberately playing with audience expectations like that might make for some easy laughs, but it fails to acknowledge the real world grooming that the casting implies.

We had hoped that maybe Lawrence, a self proclaimed feminist, would steer away from a role that appears to promote grooming too. Especially given her stellar and thoughtful performance in her independently produced 2022 hit Causeway, which deals with heavy themes of war-related injury and the trauma surrounding veteran reintegration. It seemed like after a long stint as the X-Men’s Mystique, the actress was aiming for more fulfilling roles. Sadly not the case.

It’s not just us either, as countless netizens took to Twitter to point out the overall weirdness of the flick. One user stated pointedly: “It’s giving grooming.”

Another user highlighted that this just isn’t the “feel good hit it would have been a few years ago.” The film seems to be filled with sexual innuendo, awkward situations that borderline cross the line, and oddly over-the-top slapstick.

https://twitter.com/jamesjgutierrez/status/1633969964951683073

For a film like this to come out of Hollywood, at a time when there is still such a strong conversation about the industry’s problem with sexual assault, really highlights the callousness of showbiz. At worst, No Hard Feelings seems like it promotes and makes light of grooming, at best, it’s just another exploitative movie. Neither of these options spark much hope for the future of the entertainment industry.

Keep On Reading

By Eliza Frost

Why isn’t Sylvanian Drama posting on TikTok? Here’s the legal tea

By Eliza Frost

Bad Bunny is not touring the US due to fear of ICE raids at concerts

By Charlie Sawyer

Trump administration announces plan to offer US immigrants $1,000 to self-deport

By Charlie Sawyer

Lawmakers pressure Trump to provide evidence that Venezuelan asylum seeker Andry Hernández Romero is still alive

By Eliza Frost

Kylie Jenner now follows Timothée Chalamet on Instagram, but he doesn’t follow her back

By Eliza Frost

All the Tea on the new app that lets women vet men and date safely

By Charlie Sawyer

Fans express concern after Harry Potter TV series announces the casting of Harry, Ron, and Hermione

By Eliza Frost

Misinformation spread by wellness influencers online is leading to falling contraceptive pill use

By Charlie Sawyer

Why has the new sculpture of a Black American woman in Times Square prompted mass outrage?

By Abby Amoakuh

John Lithgow fumbles JK Rowling question as Harry Potter TV show cast struggles with fan backlash

By Eliza Frost

How Jet2holidays and Jess Glynne became the sound of the summer

By Eliza Frost

Sabrina Carpenter says you need to get out more if you think Man’s Best Friend artwork is controversial 

By Charlie Sawyer

Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez killed during TikTok livestream in alleged femicide

By Charlie Sawyer

Who is Zohran Mamdani, the staunch socialist primed to become New York’s first Muslim mayor?

By Eliza Frost

Rina Sawayama calls out Sabrina Carpenter’s SNL performance of Nobody’s Son for cultural insensitivity 

By Eliza Frost

Kendall Jenner reveals plans to quit Kardashian fame for a normal job

By Charlie Sawyer

This Oscar-winning actor is the top pick to play Voldemort in HBO Max Harry Potter reboot

By Charlie Sawyer

UK women who miscarry could face home and phone searches following new anti-abortion police guidance

By Eliza Frost

The Summer I Turned Pretty stars Lola Tung and Gavin Casalegno caught in political drama

By Charlie Sawyer

Harry Potter TV series crew bewildered over production’s strange decision on location to film iconic scene