High school awkwardness has inspired many teen comedies. However, Sara Zandieh’s “Doin’ It” from Aura Entertainment, dares to take the genre in a new direction: what if you never got to experience those quintessential American moments until adulthood? The result is an R-rated sex comedy that is both audacious and heartfelt, intertwining themes of identity, shame, and the long journey toward self-acceptance.
The film opens with a jaw-dropping cold open: backstage at a talent show, teenage Maya experiences one of the most humiliating moments imaginable. This incident, compounded by the judgment of her strict mother, Veena, and her grandmother, Nani, leads the family to uproot and move back to India. When we next meet Maya—now 30 and portrayed with vulnerable depth and sharp comedic timing by Lilly Singh—she has returned to the U.S. with an ambitious plan to launch “The Talk,” an app designed to help parents guide their children through sex education. However, she still carries the scars of her past and the stigma of her inexperience.
Enter Jess (Sabrina Jalees), Maya’s wild and loyal childhood best friend, who pledges to help her experience the high school rites of passage she missed. Their escapades—getting high, clubbing, and awkward sex toy shopping—provide the film’s raunchy humor, while Maya’s tentative connection with computer science teacher Alex adds a layer of romantic tension. Stephanie Beatriz shines as Barb, the sex-positive lunch lady who becomes Maya’s unlikely mentor, and Ana Gasteyer delivers sharp comedic timing as Principal Fletcher, the bureaucratic foil to Maya’s chaos.
Zandieh handles these storylines with both energy and empathy. While the humor often leans into absurdity, there is a sincerity beneath the shock gags. When Maya awkwardly navigates teaching sex education, the film addresses both the pitfalls of outdated abstinence-only education and the complexities of navigating intimacy as a late-blooming adult. What’s most refreshing about “Doin’ It*” is how it avoids easy moralizing. Instead, it suggests that growth is often awkward, hilarious, and deeply uncomfortable.
The press notes for the film revealed that the director’s intent with “Doin’ It” emerged from a desire to tell a story about virginity shaped not by choice, but by cultural conservatism. This perspective lends the film depth, elevating it above the average teen romp. Zandieh finds humor in the clash of restraint and rebellion, while also showing compassion for her heroine’s messy journey.
With its mix of outrageous set pieces, strong ensemble performances, and a genuinely touching message about owning one’s story, “Doin’ It” is a bold and surprising comedy that resonates with mainstream audiences while also appealing to cinephiles.
Final Grade: B
“Doin It” opens in theaters this Friday.
