The New Kid (2015)

The New Kid has a rare gift: it turns the small humiliations and quiet hopes of adolescence into something genuinely funny and unexpectedly tender, without ever feeling like it’s trying too hard. Its charm comes from a realistic, character-first touch—watching Benoît navigate a new school’s social minefield with the kind of awkward courage most of us recognize, and discovering that the “wrong” crowd might be exactly the right one. The vibe is light and warm, with humor that grows out of behavior and timing rather than big, showy gags, making the friendships feel earned instead of manufactured. It’s a modest film, and if you want a loud, edgy comedy you may find it too gentle, but if you’re in the mood for something simple, enjoyable, and quietly uplifting, it’s an easy recommendation.

The New Kid is clearly aiming for a sweet, underdog school comedy about turning social disaster into unlikely friendship, and it does have a light, pleasant charm when it leans into that. The problem is it feels modest to a fault: the script is thin, the jokes and conflicts often play it safe, and the story beats can seem more like a rough first draft than a sharp comedy. If you want big laughs, memorable set pieces, or a punchy teen-movie edge, this may leave you shrugging. But if you’re in the mood for something gentle, easygoing, and mildly amusing rather than laugh-out-loud, it can still pass the time.