The Reel Review
Honor is an ambitious high school student who is laser focused on getting into Harvard. When her guidance counselor (a Harvard alum) tells her she is one of four candidates he is considering for his lone referral which will guarantee acceptance, Honor carefully concocts a Machiavellian plan to take down her competition, in this dark comedy on Paramount+.
Angourie Rice (Mare of Easttown, Spider-Man: No Way Home) is the heart and soul of this refreshingly unpredictable and winsome teen comedy, routinely breaking the fourth wall to share with the viewer her chameleon-like efforts to manipulate rivals, friends, teachers and in particular, her sleazeball guidance counselor. Her commentary is edgy and really funny, with Honor a mash-up of Reese Witherspoon’s Tracy Flick from Election with elements of Mean Girls and Jane Austin’s Emma.
The charm of the story is that the scheming Honor inadvertently helps two of her rivals find their authentic selves. As she gets to know them, she discovers she really likes them, and even falls in love with the other – Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo. The spot-on ensemble cast includes Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Promising Young Woman, Neighbors) as the guidance counselor, Armani Jackson as the brainy jock, and Amy Keum as the socially awkward, aspiring playwright.
Working from a bold, barb-laden script from veteran TV writer David A. Goodman (Family Guy, American Dad!), director Oran Zegman, in her feature film debut, hits a home run, smartly manipulating viewers’ own preconceptions to craft a surprising twist that no one will see coming, followed by a sweet, heartfelt finalé loaded with surprises. In the realm of young adult comedies, Honor Society is at the top of its class.
REEL FACTS
• Australian-born Angourie Rice made her acting debut in the 2013 apocalyptic thriller, These Final Hours, winning the AACTA award for Best Lead Actress in 2018 for her performance as Lisa in the Australian adaptation of Ladies in Black. Her next role will be starring with Jennifer Garner in the AppleTV+ miniseries The Last Thing He Told Me.
• Born in Israel and based in Los Angeles, Oran Zegman received her Masters as a directing fellow from the world-renowned American Film Institute in 2018.
• Honor Society was filmed in Vancouver, Canada.
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