I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Such a frustrating disappointment

Good start, but then it gets ruined

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

As a high school Junior enrolled in as many AP and honors courses as I can fit into a 7 period schedule struggling to find a spot into a university to have a successful, this movie is accurate; although, it is also dramaticized like many other films today. Many of my fellow students who are intelligent and successful oftentimes have trouble with communication and interpersonal skills, and some of their parents even have them take classes on learning how to interact with others. Our generation has come to a point where society pushes the need for perfection up our throats for so long we forget that it their and hurting many people's mental and physical condition. This movie draws attention to these issues in a lighthearted way that remains relevant. I recommend watching this just to gain an understanding of the stress, pressure, and hard work many high school students must do in order to gain "success".

Similar to many Netflix original films, the best value in this is laughing at it. The show is not funny when it try's to be. Most of the humor seems to be from in-jokes that debate students and over-achievers understand, and even from those standpoints it is not at all amusing. Also, anyone who understands college admissions at all will see the false reality of the way these kids decide to handle their college admissions and the result of their college admission plans. A little research on the writer of this show gives a lot of tells. It is a self-indulgent nightmare made by a debate-star who is not only totally detached from the general realities of college admissions, but as well as the realities of debaters and over-achieving students. Would not recommend as a drama, comedy, or coming of age film. Would recommend as a study in terrible film and for some unintended humor. Not to mention, the title is symbolically, metaphorically, and literally insignificant and non-impactful to the story.

Candy Jar tells the story of Bennett (Jacob Latimore) and Lona (Sami Gayle). They're two compulsively competitive high school classmates, both debate team standouts, both with eyes set on Ivy League colleges. They share similar mindsets, personalities, drives, and aspirations. They seem to be two peas in a pod, compatible and meant to be great friends, or even a couple. Only one problem: they can't stand each other. Their similarities are obvious to any third-party observer, but they see each other as opposites. They can't agree on anything. She dreams of attending Harvard, while he has his heart set on Yale. See, total opposites. This whole notion that they can't agree on anything is largely silly and unbelievable. It only takes one chance encounter at a movie for the two to realize that they get along splendidly. No kidding, thinks anyone who knows them. How they took 18 years to figure this out, I have no idea. Struggling to ingratiate themselves with their classmates is something that makes sense. They're exhausting. They talk a mile a minute and dismiss anyone who isn't on their level of obsession with debate and academics. When debating, they talk 100 miles a minute, thanks to some strange rule change they mention that led to the competitors emailing all their arguments to the judges and opponents minutes before the debate begins. Now everyone speaks at an absurd rate that makes them impossible to understand and unbearable to listen to. This movie features a lot of debate scenes, so a lot of it is unbearable to listen to. The moments when Bennett and Lona behave like human beings are actually charming. They have real personalities when they aren't reading frantically from their scripted debate notes. In these moments, we see their contrasting home lives. Bennett's mom is a state senator, while Lona's mom works multiple jobs get by. We also see that the students share a bond with the school guidance counselor and her candy jar. Even though keenly aware and only moderately obnoxiously vocal about the downsides of sugary foods, they can't help but indulge in a sweet treat during each office visit.During the course of the debate season, we witness Bennett and Lona run over every one of their opponents, every one except a couple of girls who deploy anecdotal evidence and emotion-based argument tactics. Lona dismisses the girls and their strategy, convinced that the facts are all that matter. She doesn't see the value in the emotional angle that the girls present. The main characters never square off against these girls directly, but they scout them since they could be opponents later in the state finals. You can guess where this is going.There's a fair deal of learning involved in the story. Bennett and Lona learn from each other. They also learn from the emotional debaters, although the lesson is a bit unclear. Overall, the movie has some potential but doesn't quite fulfill it. These characters are interesting when given a chance, and they needed more of an opportunity to do so. Although Candy Jar isn't the worst Netflix movie you'll find, there are certainly better movies out there to see.

Dueling high school debate champs who are at odds on just about everything forge ahead with ambitious plans to get into the colleges of their dreams. As i've said before Netflix is well known for making some terrific tv shows for example 'Stranger Things' and even some good films in general like 'Gerald's Game' but most of their films are kind between hot garbage and a waste of time and 'Candy Jar' is no exception from an acting standpoint to even painful dozes of humor that doesn't land not even once. The perfomances weren't that great either not even from the well known actors like Helen Hunt and as for the story itself? It was pretty damn childish to be honest. (0/10)