I have always been a sucker for heterosexual love stories with happy endings especially when it is a high school romance with teenagers stuck in-between two worlds-music and sports. I know it might be cliche but movies where the main character is a just an average kid who gets bullied a lot by the jocks of the school until he by some series of events hits a glow up stage that springboards him up the popularity ladder in high school will always be my top picks for movie favorites and Status update seem to explore these themes .
Status update is a high school film that combines music, love and a little bit of fiction to produce a true work of art and although it was released in 2018, we never crossed parts until Four years later around the month of July 2022 after I saw an ad about it on YouTube. The movie is centered on the life of Kyle Moore, a teenager who had to move from California to a new town with his mom and younger sister after the split between his parents even when he prefers to stay in California with his dad so he can continue surfing.
As expected being the new kid in school is not always easy as there is an uneasy feeling of awkwardness, struggle to fit in and loneliness that comes with it which was exactly what happens to Kyle in his new school and to make matters worse he became a victim of bullying. Standing up for an overweight kid in school named Lonnie made him a target to the athletes of the school ice hockey team. However there was a bright side to all this, he started to get close to a beautiful young lady- Dani after bumping into each other in school( still cliche but I love it), she asked him to join their music club which he agreed to just so he could get close to her.
With the continuous harassment Kyle receives from the bullies regularly at school, he ends up damaging his phone from one of such encounters. Forced to get a new one, Kyle had no choice but to head to the mall where he encounters a shop owner with a funny looking hairstyle that tells him of a phone with an app called Your App Status that can make anything he inputs into it become a reality.
The shop owner hands over the phone over to Kyle without any form of payment but only tells him to use it wisely. Kyle goes home without paying no mind to what the man says however before he goes to bed, he inputs a request only to see it manifest the next morning.
Thrilled by this, Kyle starts to use the phone for his benefits which turned him into an excellent singer and an A level athlete. This brought fame and popularity into Kyle's live but it also blinded him from what was important sidelining his best friend and the girl he loves just so he can fit in with his current status. Kyle completely transforms into someone else as both his family and friends don't even recognize him anymore.
In the end he realizes who he truly is leaving the hockey finals just so he can sing with the girl he loves. He loses the phone but still finds true happiness being who he was always meant to be HIMSELF.
My favorite part of the entire movie would have to be when Kyle walks to the music teacher for another opportunity to be part of the music band.
He is immediately turned down due to his previously poor performance earlier. However because of the app on his new device, he is able to not only wow the teacher but the entire school with his amazing vocal control and presentation that he( the teacher) had no choice but to make him the new lead singer alongside his crush Dani.
Status update is a movie about Teen love and most importantly self discovery. It highlights the relevance of staying true to yourself despite the events around, never loose sight of what truly matters and always remember that you should never cut ties with your loved ones just because you meet new people. It is not an A-class movie neither does it pretend to be, Status update was created for people like me who love teenager high school comedy with touches of romance , love, and a happy ending while delivering subtle positive messages to the audience.
Anytime I want to be in my feelings, I just rewatch this movie for what feels like the millionth time now. It is my go to place for smiles and to remind me of what it feels like to be a teenager again. If you know you have not seen this movie, I highly recommend you do because it is definitely worth it
Thank you
