Adam Sandler’s kids Sadie and Sunny mostly popped up in small roles in his films while they grew up, but his production company Happy Madison is now turning its eye to creating films for them. They both previously starred in the Netflix film You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah but in the college-set Roommates, Sadie takes the sole spotlight.
ROOMMATES: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: After a roommate dispute at Walton College, the principal Dr. Schilling (Sarah Sherman) tells the girls a story about a similar situation from her time in school as a way to bridge their divide. Roommates mostly takes place in a flashback: Devon (Sadie Sandler) was a certified loner in high school, so when she gets to college, she’s ready for a fresh start. That means she latches onto the first popular girl that gives her attention and becomes besties—and roomies—with Celeste (Chloe East). But what starts out as Devon’s prayers being answered turns into a nightmare, as Celeste takes advantage of Devon’s giving nature.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of? Roommates calls back to the great female-friendship comedies of the 2000s, like Mean Girls and Easy A.
Performance Worth Watching: East toes the line between being a girl’s girl and conniving, making you want to believe she has good intentions while knowing that her sinister motives are always lurking just under the surface.
Sex And Skin: Surprisingly, the most skin we see are in bikinis when the crew goes on spring break.
Our Take: After her winning performance in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, Sadie Sandler moves on to an age-appropriate college flick, and delivers one of the best depictions of undergrad—the good, bad, and the ugly. Sandler has an approachable aura with the ability to play a wallflower that still has self-respect and an edge, without which her character would be a total doormat. She and East are incredibly watchable as they go toe-to-toe, delivering lines that are dripping with passive aggression.
Roommates joins a long lineage of female-centric young adult films, but it stands out by not making the ultimate goal about a man. Sure, the conflict hits its boiling point in relation to Sadie’s crush Michael (Billy Bryk), but the film isn’t really about that and it’s all the better for it. Even so, the odd flashback framing device is unnecessary and Roommates could’ve been told as a straightforward narrative instead.
Happy Madison Productions, helmed by Sadie’s father Adam Sandler, is secretly cornering the female YA market with smart and entertaining vehicles for his daughters. If you’re gonna nepo baby, at least the output is worth watching.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Sandler’s production company has made another formidable and relatable YA film worth watching.
Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a film and TV writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Vulture, Teen Vogue, ELLE, and more. She is the co-host of the podcast PromRad with fellow Decider contributor Proma Khosla. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.
