Neflix’s new coming-of-age comedy “Roommates,” released April 17, showcases the fear many college freshmen feel in their search for friends. A budding best-friend dynamic turns to absolute rivalry, all while showcasing the complexity in some female friendships. The chaotic nature of this rivalry felt hysterically entertaining, while the coming-of-age vibes conveyed the experiences many feel as college freshmen.
After lacking a best friend and being bullied throughout high school, Devon (Sadie Sandler) worries she won’t be able to find friends in college. At freshman orientation, Devon makes it her mission to find a friend and eventually meets Celeste (Chloe East).
After a week of inseparable connection, Devon asks Celeste if she will room with her and Celeste accepts. Devon quickly regrets her proposal as living with Celeste makes her life a living nightmare, ultimately ending in the deconstruction of their friendship.
While “Roommates” depicts roommate conflict intensified to a point of no return, I still found relatability in Devon’s growing hatred for Celeste.
Devon’s first run-in with Celeste’s careless nature for her space happens when she walks in on Celeste using their beds, which she pushed together, to sleep with a random man. This event is made even more awkward when the man leaves, telling Devon he knows her from his poetry class. Devon is, understandably, put off by Celeste’s blatant disregard for her belongings, whichmade me angry on her behalf.
As the film progressed, I felt my personal hatred for Celeste growing. I felt I was experiencing the same emotions as Devon, especially when Celeste consistently disrespected her.
For example, Celeste wears Devon’s underwear and bra without asking for permission. Later, she records Devon singing in the shower, catching her while she is quite vulnerable. Celeste’s targeted actions intensify as Devon realizes Celeste is trying to sabotage her, likely for her own personal gain.
This whole story is retold by college dean Dr. Schilling (Sarah Sherman) who details the story to two roommates Auguste (Ivy Wolk) and Luna (Storm Reid) who face their own roommate struggles. While hilariously breaking the boundaries of professionalism her job requires, she uses Celeste and Devon’s story as a cautionary tale to the two girls.
Similarly to her performance in “Pizza Movie,” I enjoyed that Sherman integrated her wacky humor into this movie as well. This is especially evident through her past as Devon’s former resident assistant, whose dorm oddly served as a DIY welding workshop despite administrative guidelines.
While “Pizza Movie” showcased a goofy, chaotic drug trip between a set of college students, “Roommates” is more relatable to the modern freshman experience. I felt that Devon’s uncertainty about whether she would find college friends mirrored my own experience with anxiety about coming to college.
I also really enjoyed the dynamics between Devon’s parents Brian (Nick Kroll) and Hannah (Natasha Lyonne) as fun-loving, slightly unhinged parents filled with comical insight. Celeste is jealous of Devon’s family dynamic, which is why she wants to torment her.
The film’s inclusion of “Girl, so confusing” by Charli xcx further illustrated Devon’s paranoia and subsequently my own when engaging with the film’s representation of Celeste. This song depicts the complexities of many female relationships, in which individual insecurities often lead to mutual confusion.
The complexity of the female friendship felt integral to Devon’s understanding of herself, as Devon allowed herself to finally accept that Celeste is ill-intentioned. This revelation gives Devon a new sense of confidence of her own worth, allowing her to fight back against Celeste’s attempts to sabotage her life.
In a final architectural presentation for WaltonCon, the university’s annual campus improvement competition, Devon showcases her solution to a backstabbing roommate, uncovering Celeste’s secrets to a whole audience of their peers.
While wider audiences might not relate to “Roommates” as much, I feel young female audiences will be humored by the film’s representation of an evil roommate and the intricacies of female friendships. I also appreciated how the film introduced more serious aspects of self-discovery within an unfamiliar environment.
