You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah - A Netflix Movie Review

My Bat Mitzvah is going to be wild! Too bad you can’t come.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah was invited onto Netflix in 2023. With their Bat Mitzvahs approaching, best friends Stacey and Lydia have always dreamed of having the best Bat Mitzvahs. Unfortunately, middle school drama separates the girls from their plans.

Do you know how trailers trick you into believing their movies will be comedies? You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah hides that it's the usual teen comedy with the worst acting I have ever seen! Somehow, I made it through this movie. While the film offers a familiar premise, it has a heartwarming message about friendship and growing up.

Starring in the main role is Sunny Sandler, the daughter of Adam Sandler. No offense to Sunny but she is still growing as an actress. All her reactions were dull and her character wasn’t very nice. Stacy refuses to admit that she’s wrong. If Stacy made better decisions she wouldn’t be in the situations that she causes.

Adam Sandler is the best part of the film! He doesn’t have a big role, but he sports his usual sense of humor. He’s a good (and goofy) dad to his kids. It’s heartwarming to see Sandler give his daughters a chance in the limelight. My favorite scene will forever be Sunny and Adam roasting each other.

Disney Fans are sure to recognize Idina Menzel. In fact, viewers will also recognise her from Uncut Gems where Menzel and Sandler also play a married couple. In contrast Uncut Gems, Danny and Bree are in a much happier relationship.

The cast, primarily composed of young and inexperienced actors, struggles to bring authenticity to their roles. Their deliveries and reactions are so stale often staring blankly into the camera. Unless they were trying not to be over-the-top, this film would have been a hit if the cast understood the story.

This film is more for teen audiences than for me. Then again, I was once a kid. The topic of struggling friendships rang true to me. The film is about growing up and friendship. It pertains to the usual teen cliches of young romance and the kids arguing, wanting to fit in.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah manages to deliver a heartwarming message about growing up and the importance of friendship. Friendship is never something to take advantage of. As Stacy navigates the challenges of adolescence and faces the rivalry with Lydia, the film encourages viewers to look beyond surface differences and find common ground,

IT fans, I have some good news for you. The location of the quarry in IT is used in this movie! I LOVE the IT movies. I was so excited to see it appear in this film.

Sammi Cohen should have worked more with the cast. The story was there, just not the cast. The film spends too much time discussing Jewish heritage. That’s not a problem. This film is about two friends learning to work through their problems to throw wild Bat Mitzvahs.

If Cohen executed it better, the film's exploration of the Bat Mitzvah as a symbol of coming of age and self-discovery could have been more impactful. Cohen missed an opportunity for an authentic portrayal of Jewish traditions and values.

Viewers have had different opinions from my own. There wasn’t much depth to the story. Young teen audiences may enjoy the film. Watch You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah on Netflix. It is a funny film.