This New Netflix Black Comedy Wanted to Be a Teen Gem, but Turned Out to Be a Flop With 45% on RT

Netflix's collaboration with Adam Sandler's production company, Happy Madison Productions, is going strong. Last year, the streaming service released Happy Gilmore 2 and Kinda Pregnant.

In 2026, Roommates joined the list. The movie could have attracted viewers with its recognizable name – Sandler's daughter played the lead – and its star-studded cast, which includes Natasha Lyonne, Francesca Scorsese, and Steve Buscemi.

However, instead of delivering a unique message about friendship and growing up, the movie turned out to be a lightweight and chaotic dark comedy.

What Is 'Roommates' About?

A fight breaks out on campus. Luna watches her enraged roommate, Auguste, throw her things out the window. Dean of Students Robyn breaks up the argument. To help the girls find common ground, Robyn shares a similar story.

Once upon a time, at this same university, the insecure Devon shared a room with her complete opposite: the rebellious Celeste.

Initially, the two got along, but Devon found it increasingly difficult to live with her carefree roommate over time. Celeste defaults on debts, brings boys into the room, and brazenly takes advantage of her friend's kindness.

'Roommates' Tries to Be a Fresh Teen Movie, but Ends up Feeling Like Just Another Generic Netflix Project

There has long been talk that Netflix intentionally simplifies the plots of its movies to distract viewers and keep them engaged, even when they're not fully paying attention. Roommates unnecessarily uses a framing structure, likely to maintain distracted attention.

Why couldn't the movie focus on the intricacies of Devon and Celeste's complicated friendship? Many can relate to the main character's experience of falling under the spell of a popular and manipulative girl.

However, the filmmakers continually interrupt the main storyline to allow the dean to comment on the events and express everyone's opinion.

The director juxtaposes different characters, reminding us that differences in temperament can disrupt everyday life. However, throughout the movie, we see the situation only through Devon's eyes, and Celeste remains an unexplored figure.

'Roommates' Is a Jumbled Mess Instead of a Non-Trivial Statement

As the plot of Roommates unfolds, the movie loses its initial tone. By the end, Chandler Levack surprises viewers with unexpected twists. This unpredictability prevents viewers from accusing the movie of being formulaic. On the other hand, the abrupt shift in mood is completely disorienting.

Roommates misses the chance to make a statement about anything, be it friendly rivalry, bitterness over disappointment in a friend, or the complexities of everyday life as a roommate.

Rather than being a therapeutic coming-of-age story, it's a lightweight, chaotic comedy about the difference between friendship and hatred.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Roommates'?

• Roommates has 65% from critics and 45% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.6/10.

• On Letterboxd, Roommates scored 2.9/5.0.