Candy Jar (2018)

Candy Jar is special because it treats brainy, competitive teenagers like real people instead of punchlines, finding romance and comedy in the very specific pressure-cooker world of debate, college dreams, and the adults who hover a little too close. Ben Shelton keeps the vibe fleet and sweet, letting Sami Gayle and Jacob Latimore’s prickly-then-sparking chemistry do the heavy lifting as their rivalry turns into something unexpectedly tender and human. It’s genuinely funny without being mean, and surprisingly grounded about class, ambition, and the exhausting performance of being “impressive” at 17. If you’re looking for big twists or broad teen-movie chaos, this may feel modest—but if you want an easy-to-love, smartly observed dramedy with a warm pulse, it’s a charming bet.

Candy Jar is clearly aiming for a smart, sweet teen rom-com about two hyper-competitive debate kids learning to see past their rivalry and the college-admissions pressure cooker. The problem is it plays like a checklist of familiar beats—cute bickering, inevitable softening, predictable turns—without enough bite or emotional depth to make it feel fresh or particularly earned. If you’re hoping for sharp satire of academic obsession, genuinely surprising romance, or a debate-movie that really digs into ideas, this will likely feel light and a bit empty. Still, the leads are likable, it’s easy to watch, and the low-stakes, clean content makes it a harmless pick if you just want something gentle and undemanding in the background.