User reviews

In this tale which seems to take elements from Easy A and A Walk to Remember, Bianca (Mae Whitman) is told by her long-time neighbor and classmate, Wesley (Robbie Arnell) that she is the Designated Ugly Fat Friend (or DUFF for short).

All Bianca wants is Toby, and will even help out Wesley to get that. In A Walk to Remember kind of format the unlikely friends become close and Toby is revealed to also believe in 'the duff' as he yearns for Jess and Casey, Bianca's friends, in the hopes that Bianca will hook him up.

It all comes to a head with a She's All That-esque moment close to the end of the film. It's a low budget film, and there's not an all-star cast. I really only recognize Mae Whitman from Scott Pilgrim, Ken Jeong, and Allison Janney. Everyone else here feels forgettable.

Although everyone fills out their roles and no one sticks out like a sore thumb, the acting is what sells the film. Mae has perfect timing for her on-the-button lines to finish off scenes. Mae is approachable, which makes Bianca approachable.

I did find some things in the film out of touch, however. In the early stages of the blossoming friendship, Bianca dances and makes a fool of herself with a mannequin at the store while Wesley does his best to be Gerard Butler in The Ugly Truth. It's revealed that Wesley's ex is filming the whole situation and then later, Bianca accuses Wesley. It pains me how cringeworthy it is. Anyone with half a brain would realize he wouldn't do that and it was impossible to do it without Bianca noticing. The way that the recording is done is not subtle either.

Aside from that there are sprinkles of comedic moments and quotes throughout the film. It's light-hearted and not raunchy like American Pie can be. It's got some taste and some brilliant jokes. Overall, it's worth a view and anyone who enjoys teen comedies with a bit of romance won't regret it.

Without the chemistry btw its two leads, this movie would not have worked. Plus, the supporting cast of adults helped. This movie was better than it had any right to be.

Whitman has always been a talented actress. I look forward to her eventually getting some truly meaty movie roles.

Fortunately the trailer teaches us what DUFF means because otherwise no one would know. It's that approachable guy in your group of friends who no one cares about but is useful for inter-group communications. You didn't ever know anyone like that? Me neither, go figure. But, as a film mechanic it works.

Remember all that teen anxiety you used to have? Still got it? Yep me too. You're only comfortable with the people you know but how do you get to know someone new? If you're in touch with that feeling then this movie that explores awkward teenage romance will appeal.

There are more laughs in this than the average teen movie. The characters are explored a bit more fully than in the average teen movie. It is a better than average teen movie.

It's a fresh idea ,, new definitions and it's kinda purposeful which makes it a bit exciting .. not the type of comedy where you laugh your A$$ off ,, but it has more than a bunch of funny bits which made it fine in that area. Ken Jeong appearance was one of the few of scenes that intrigued me to keep on watching the movie, Hilarious man.. to be fair ,, this project would look so much better as a TV movie or probably as a series on CBS, and it could hit huge success, but the idea of series based on these type of stories is not really new on TV (like "Awkward" 6 seasons so far on MTV which is a success),, the plot seemed entangled but it went toward a clear goals .. the writing looked okay ,, tight in some parts but still it didn't help much to cover some holes in the production as there were a couple of still scenes in the mid of the movie.

As for the cast ,, it was well picked .. again Ken Jeong in the beginning of the movie ,, he was really funny ,, the girl from "parenthood" ;) Mae Whitman she has flown up high to be really good funny gal and all the other girls as well were fine,, Chris Wylde was hilarious in the end of the movie :D ,, Robbie Amell really good acting all popular and careless .. "you were nerdy on fire in the flash" :D :D,, adding the lovable Allison Janney i think all of that crew made the movie a bit more funny and well it helped out with the rating.

Overall,, it is fresh enjoyable movie .. with a funny bits from another perspective and not forgetting to shine a light on cyber bullying problem.. so it is a recommended.

A film that was expected not surprise, but he did happily. Fun, shows modern and contemporary themes with a comic and natural touch. It presents an interesting terminology. It is predictable in parts of the plot and has clichés, but still the good parts of the film stand out more.

Mae Whitman provides a lovely, funny and intelligent character, Robbie Amell was interesting and fun too. One possible bright future for both. Allison Janney always great.

A nice movie with several moments to laugh and better than the other trash teen movies. I enjoy it a lot. 8/10

The Duff is another movie in the expansive Teen RomCom, but it stands out for its charm, message, and how the plot is delivered. Is it perfect? No. However, Mae Whitman (Bianca) is charming throughout, Robbie Amell (Wesley) does good work, and Ken Jeong (Mr. Arthur) nails every scene he's in. Bianca Santos (Casey), Skyler Samuels (Jess), and Bella Thorne (Madison Morgan) play their roles effectively. Allison Janney (Dottie) also does well with her role.

Yes, the plot pushes towards the genre rather than harsh realism during certain points as expected. Those moments within the teen genre of films is always present, and shouldn't take away from the overall feel of the film. Overall, The Duff is fun.

Real Score: 6.6

Teen comedies are the best! I have always high school comedies such as Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), American Pie (1999), Bring It On (2000), Mean Girls (2004), and Superbad (2007). I was really exciting about seeing The DUFF, as there as hasn't been a whole lot of teen comedies recently. This movie follows Bianca Piper (played by Mae Whitman), a high school senior who's learns she has been labeled the DUFF, short for Designated Ugly Fat Friend, by her classmates. The DUFF is basically the friend who is least prettiest in a group. Bianca decides she must reinvent herself, and then turn the tables on snobby hot-girl Madison Morgan (Bella Thorne) to restructure the school's society.

This film reminded me a lot of Mean Girls, it deals with similar themes of high school popularity and spreading rumors. While its not quite on the level of Mean Girls, its still very clever and very original. Mae Whitman and Robbie Amell (who plays the football jock who Bianca gets help for advice) have some good comedic chemistry. Bella Thorne also plays an interesting role, as one of Bianca's classmates who is very snobby and judgmental, and tries to throw her under the bus. She is a lot like Rachel McAdam's character from Mean Girls. I did find it kinda weird for Mae Whitman and Bella Thorne to be playing classmates as Whitman is nine years older than Thorne. I also loved Ken Jeong, who plays Bianca's teacher.

Overall, I was satisfied with this movie, I had its funny scene here and there, especially when Mae Whitman and Robbie Amell is on screen. This film will definitely please a fair amount of teenagers and probably adults like.

A teenage movie that obviously will play out one way or another depending on whether you like those or not. It's pretty witty and it has some genuine jokes in it (not to mention some very funny supporting cast to boot with). The story itself is as in many cases, very predictable. You know who the real "target" of affection is going to be.

But the movie is able to win one over, if you buy into the whole light heartiness of the movie. The movie as some before it is very self aware and there are many in jokes in this. It's also refreshing to see the main girl being a horror movie fan. It's also interesting to see how much PG-13 movies have evolved over the years and how much more is allowed to be said in them. All in all, a lot of fun

'THE DUFF': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five) A teen comedy flick about an awkward high school senior, that learns she's been labeled 'The DUFF' (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) of her friend group. It stars Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell and Bella Thorne (Thorne being the only actual teen of the trio; the other two are 27, while Thorne is 17). The film was directed by Ari Sandel and written by Josh A. Cagan; it's based on the book, of the same name, by Kody Keplinger. It's an OK teen movie; nothing too memorable, but not bad either. Bianca (Whitman) is a happy senior, and good at school, but she's also pretty strange; she's seen as unattractive, and annoying, by many classmates. She's best friends with two of the most popular, and desired, girls at her school; Jess (Skyler Samuels) and Casey (Bianca Santos). She doesn't realize it, but she's been labeled their 'DUFF'; by the rest of the school. Her childhood friend and neighbor, Wes Rush (Amell), informs her of this, and it turns her whole world upside down. She then breaks up with Jess and Casey, and asks Wes, who's also a popular football star, to teach her how to act cool; mostly to attract a boy she's crushing on (Nick Eversman). Wes's ex-girlfriend, Madison Morgan (Thorne), who's also the most popular girl at school, doesn't like the idea of the two spending time together; and she'll do anything to ruin Bianca's image (even more) to stop it. The movie is kind of clever, witty and insightful (but not overly so). It's well acted (for the most part); Whitman and Amell are especially likable, as the leads. It also teaches teens, and everyone, a valuable lesson about being yourself; and not worrying what others think of you. It's hard not to like a movie like this, or talk poorly of it too much (or even at all). It's definitely not a classic teen movie, or even a really good one, but it's decent.

I did not like this movie at all because it was such a stupid idea. Why would they make a movie about people being dumb ugly fat friends, that is just messed up. Even though it made me chuckle but the dialogue is absolutely terrible in almost every way. They make teenagers look stupid and irresponsible. If you have not seen it then don't see it because it is a complete waste of time and money. I regret paying to see this and to be honest with you, I don't know why I went to see it in the first place. It was so cheesy and stereotypical and it was so dreadful that I was tempted to kill myself. That's all I really have to say about this piece of crap movie and I repeat do not go and see this movie unless you enjoy watching crappy movies!

Sweet , short and simple story, never felt bored. Good acting by all.

The beginning was on fire but little by little it came clear

The TiVo guide rates this movie only 1 1/2 stars, so I wasn't expecting much. Nothing else was on so I decided to give it a shot and figured it might help me sleep. I don't typically watch anything involving high school students because I find most plots, or lack of, annoying or the characters irritating. Not so for this movie. It was a quirky, funny movie that had me smiling and laughing. The actors, none of whom I am familiar with, seemed to have been perfectly cast for their role. Sure, you knew where this was headed, but even so it was a fun ride to the end. I might watch it again just for the fun of it and catch expressions and gestures that I might have missed.

I am a DUFF. I have always wanted to know my role in my group of friends, and now I have a term for it.

This is a cute movie, and I can tell that this is one of those movies that I will watch every time it is on Freeform, FX or USA. It has a great cast with a lot of chemistry. Mae Whitman is an amazing actress, and Robbie Amell has charm for days and days. This will become a cult teen classic just like 10 Things I Like About You, Pretty In Pink and She's All That.

With all that being said, this movie follows the classic teen formula so don't expect any surprises. Mean Girls and Easy A are a lot smarter than this flick. Also, Bella Thorne is a great actress and she does great with her role in this movie. Bullying is real, but people don't act like her in real life at that age. Every time her character came on screen, I cringed. I don't like to feel uncomfortable watching films like this. The thing that makes it worse is that this character isn't part of original book. I would have rather used that screen time for the main character's relationship with her friends.

Still, this is a good film. I will add this to my Saturday afternoon ritual when it starts playing on cable.

High school used to be home to what I guess you could say, The Breakfast Club; you had the jocks, the princesses, the nerds, the trouble-makers, and the basket-cases, but high school isn't like that anymore. In fact, we have more labels than ever and that includes the new slang term The D.U.F.F (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). This film is creative, interesting, and very entertaining. The leading actress, Mae Whitman, makes the film enjoyable along with her co-stars Robbie Amell and Ken Jeong. It has a good story line, a good atmosphere, and there's a good message at the end. Something I didn't really like about the movie was Bella Thorne's character, Madison. I felt like her character lacked development and it felt too stereotypical given that the movie was steering away from the stereotypes. As a whole, I would recommend this film to others because it was humorous and fun to watch.

Well let me say I was googling teenage movies. Movie to try to get all the cool 80's movies I missed out cause I was born in late 70's which means the 82, 83, and honestly 84 year movies I missed out on. But this movie here was treasure for this generation who doesn't get to see great creative high school movies.

In this movie there is a girl who has some pretty hot friends who are females. And her next door neighbor who also goes to school with her wants to talk to her friends. But he gets in conversation with her and then he tell her she is just the Designated Ugly Fat Friend which stands for DUFF as in the movie title. Never hear do of the word myself but it got me thinking. And it was creative or at the very least original cause nobody has ever said it in a film before. They kind of played off a few old teenage scripts,attractive surfer calvin kline looking guy is friends with a girl who isn't attractive by school standards (which they dressed the girl down on purpose, then changed her clothes later in the movie, she was good looking before the clothes change) along with a bunch of girls who look like super models who want their ex boyfriends back. Seen it a thousand times. But with comedy and introducing characters well. Some movies can pull it off. The key is comedy and creativity.

The Duff starts out wonderful. It gives you characters, and explains them to you. Who they are, what their personality is like and lets you decide who do you like and who you don't like. And for the most part its not predictable (the point where it comes predictable is where they fail but that is more at the end).

They went back a little with the plot for this. And adding new wording to it and also adding social media phrases. And didn't explain the social media. Brilliant move on their part. Technically everybody should know by now what twitter, facebook and instagram is. But they said a couple of more that I didn't know and I personally liked that. Good movies don't need to explain everything to the viewer. As long as they get what you are talking about they can use their imagination. Nobody explains what a boogie is in top gun. But you can image what it is the way they used it.

Now for the bad things that happened in this movie which made me give it a 3 point deduction. I'm a huge fan of runaway bride but she didn't get her way either, she had to come back apologize, she came back to richard geres house. Not him going to her house and finally accepting her. So when I saw that the guy came running back to her and while just stood there I could have puked. I don't want realistic in my movies. I get it movies are fake but I seriously don't want to watch the plot that goes "women does what she wants, not accepted, they mistreat her, people then find out she is great and the guy wakes up and goes after her after finally realizing she is the one". We have enough of those movies. And right around when her mother makes her dress thats when the whole movie changes for the worse.

The comedy in this movie is great as well. Lines after lines. The parts where she is in the store is something from her character I didn't expect. They threw in the teenage underage partying which I didn't take part in my teenage years but I always like to see it on the big screen.

I personally will say this just a movie like a guilty pleasure. I'm an older guy and I wouldn't throw this on at a party or around a group of guys unless it was a group of guys and we all 25 years old along with some girls that age. This movie would be perfect for it. But if you are alone or with you girlfriend (and she better like high school comedy) this might work.

The Duff(2015) Starring: Mae Whitman, Bella Thorne, Robbie Amell, Bianca A. Santos, Skyler Samuels, Allison Janney, Ken Jeong, Nick Eversman, Romany Malco, Chris Wylde, Mahaley Manning, Tony Cavalero, Seth Meriwether, Gabriela Fraile, and Agnes Mayasari Directed By: Ari Sandel Review YOU EITHER KNOW ONE, YOU EITHER HAVE ONE, YOU ARE ONE When I looked at the poster for this film I thought to myself there's no way this movie is good. But when it was released on DVD & Bluray and I saw part of the trailer on demand on Comcast I became interested in seeing this movie. I was pleasantly surprised before I watched it to find out from my sister that it's based on a book. The Film is about a chick named Bianca who goes to a party with her friends one night to find out from her neighbor Wesley that she is a new label called a Duff. Designated, Ugly, Fat, Friend. She is the approachable who guys use to get close to her friends, people ask her questions about other topics instead of her. The film is one those teen movies that come out every few years, I believe the last one we had was Prom with Aimee Teegarden. Unlike that movie though this one is actually good. It has a few clichés of course but I find clichés to be good(sometimes) and here it's alright because already in a film with a good script that allows its actors to shine in their roles. Like Robbie Amell and Mae Whitman, Robbie plays the jock who of course the main chick is falling for even though in the beginning she doesn't like him. This is Ari Sandel's first directorial debut, okay well not really he's directed another film but from what I can see this is probably his best film out of the two. He has a nice style for character and setting. The Duff was a nice surprise for me, and I was glad I rented it was totally worth it. It has great characters, nice script, good acting and is hit out of the park with good direction. Even if it does have a few clichés, I'm giving The Duff a three and a half out of five.

In all honesty I was dreading my trip to the cinema to watch 'The Duff'; yet how wrong I was to despair. Yes it does not match the high level of quality from other high school movies such as 'Easy A' and 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'. But it surpasses the recent batch of comedies and provides well needed laughs.

Bianca Piper is a teenager in her later years of high school. She just wants to be reasonably popular and have a boyfriend. However all possibility of this happening is gone when she attends a party hosted by the high school bully. Her friend Wes explains to her that she is the designated ugly fat friend of her social group or DUFF for short. Bianca seeks help from Wes to change her appearance in exchange she will help him pass his science class.

With a film like 'The DUFF', you need to bear in mind that it will not amaze you. Its sole purpose is entertainment value and ensuring that you have a great time, on that basis it is a success. That is equal parts funny and sweet.

Mae Whitman as Bianca Piper is a marvel. This is mainly due to the fact that you do not pity her character. But can sympathise with her because we have all faced the same pressures in high school and how we should conform to fit in with our desired social group. As a character she goes on a remarkable journey and along the way teaches us that we should not be jealous of other people and appreciate our own life.

Her voice-over that plays throughout the film is humorous and allows Bianca to say what she really thinks about certain individuals without verbally expressing her thoughts. Yes it takes some stabs at satire some too broad and others almost on the mark. This element just could have used some tweaking to fine tune it.

The male lead is Robbie Amell who plays Wesley Rush. He is the sports fanatic but funnily enough is not a stereotype. That's because his character has a heart even if he speaks his mind far too often. Amell is a revelation in his first major film role. I expected him to be a manifestation of everything that is wrong with male leads in Hollywood. Instead he served as a welcome addition to the film, that surprised me far more than I thought possible.

The chemistry between Whitman and Amell practically flows from the screen. They left my heart feeling warm and I for one would be more than happy to see them star alongside one another in the future. Their personalities differ significantly which makes it all the more entrancing when they offer their viewpoints on the world.

It does not hurt the film a considerable amount but in some scenes it loses a sense of purpose; particularly when those scenes never lead to anywhere meaningful. Furthermore its messages are far too forceful and as a result lose their impact. A scene in which Bianca unfriends her friends on social media are funny. Until it becomes dragged out and the joke itself feels tired due to repetition.

It was almost unavoidable for 'The Duff' to overcome its own predictability. It has several twists yet nothing that spins the tropes of the genre on its head. As soon as the film begins you can tell the direction in which it is heading. Many audience members will appreciate this familiarity but I would have preferred these scenes to be spontaneous so I cannot tell the ending of the film in advance.

If you have never been a fan of cute girly high school comedies then 'The Duff' will not convert you. But for fans of the genre the presence of Whitman and Amell alone will substantially satisfy.

Yet, another movie about an intelligent high school teen girl who socially unfit among others. After realising her issue, she fights back to regain what she was missing. This type of concept is extremely common, but initiating a fresh idea on where the narration can develop the plots and finishes off high note is the vital for a movie's success. This film had one of that and that is called the DUFF. You can find out what that stands for in its official posters.

The movie was above the average. The characters were great, but not the unique ones. Everything was enjoyable, I mean it was not a usual annoying teen movie. Well directed because he got a good screenplay that extracted from the book of the same name. The cast was good, nice performances and so it is official that Bella Thorne classified for those mean girl roles.

Anyway the main character Bianca was so good. Whitman was too old for the role, but outclassed it. Carefully handled to get under the PG13, and it succeeds. So kids with the matured minds are pretty much allowed to watch it and I don't see any serious offensive to keep them away other than facts the film talks about. Overall a nice watch for sure.

6.5/10

Every decade has two or three great teen angst movies that seem to encapsulate what it's like to be a high schooler at that particular point in the evolution of American culture. The 1970s saw "Grease" and "American Graffiti" deal with the 50s and 60s (even while speaking to the teens of the 70s). The 80s had "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "The Breakfast Club" (among others). The 90s had "Clueless" and "American Pie". The 2000s had "Superbad" and "Mean Girls", and the 2010s have had "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and now, "The DUFF" (PG-13, 1:41).

What all these movies have in common is the portrayal of teenagers walking that fine line between needing to be socially accepted on some level and trying to be themselves, even as they're still figuring out who that is exactly. When one of these movies comes out, adults often dismiss it as "just another teen movie" (which also became the title of a movie, albeit a spoof). Critical adults often fail to realize that they had a movie that defined their generation and probably still love – and that the current generation of young adults needs THEIR movie to help them see that what they're going through is tough on everyone – and that it will pass. "The DUFF" fulfills that role quite well for our current decade.

"Jess has the hottest ass." "Casey has the hottest rack." "Bianca has… the hottest friends." That exchange between two adolescent boys watching a trio of friends walk down the hall of their high school pretty much sums up what "The Duff" is all about – attractive friends hanging out with a less-attractive friend who everyone approaches for dating intel about the other two. "DUFF" stands for "Designated Ugly Fat Friend". Now, the DUFF isn't necessarily ugly or fat, but IS less desirable than his or her friends and makes those friends seem even more desirable than they already are. DUFFs are unwitting gatekeepers, liaisons of sorts between their more popular friends and others who want to get closer to those friends. In other words, DUFF is modern shorthand for the "wannabes" or "also-rans" among today's teenagers.

The DUFF that "The Duff" centers around is Bianca Piper (Mae Whitman from the long-running TV series "Parenthood"). She is portrayed as the DUFF of her two best friends, Jess (Skyler Samuels) and Casey (Bianca A. Santos). Bianca doesn't even know the term DUFF until her long-time next door neighbor and popular captain of the football team Wesley (Robbie Amell) mentions it and then has to explain it to her. Bianca doesn't take the news well. But after a little classic denial, anger, bargaining and depression as she works through her grief over the loss of the comfortable niche she has carved out for herself, she arrives at acceptance – but only a transitional acceptance. She wants Wes to help her un-DUFF (or is it de-DUFF? Ex-DUFF?). Regardless, Wes puts her through a "program" of sorts (that he makes up as he goes) in exchange for some much-needed tutoring in science.

Besides the main conflict of Bianca versus her DUFF-ness, there are several strong narrative threads running through the film. Bianca has a big crush on Toby (Nick Eversman), the school's apparently soulful guitar player and song writer. Bianca's mother (Allison Janney) needs to transition from self-absorbed self-help celebrity to caring and helpful mom. Bianca is increasingly tormented by the school's designated mean girl and self-described "future reality star" Madison (Bella Thorne) and her video documenting minion Caitlyn (Rebecca Weil). Lastly, Bianca has hanging over her head a dreaded assignment from her school newspaper's faculty adviser (Ken Jeong) to write an article on what homecoming means to her. This practically forces her to go to a dance that she never wanted to attend in the first place, much less in the light of the disaster that her life has become.

"The Duff" isn't a new story, but it captures what it's like to be a high school student in the second decade of the 21st century and entertains in the process. Wes' attempted transformation of Bianca has its roots in the now century-old story of "Pygmalion", this film is itself an adaptation of Kody Keplinger's 2010 book of the same name and the movie borrows heavily from its teen cinematic predecessors. In fact, the opening line of the movie is a nod to the closing line in "The Breakfast Club". While it subtly stakes a claim to that film's legacy, this movie immediately sets out on its own to update those old stories and tropes for this generation – and it works – mostly. Whitman is adorable and effective in the title role. She's also very funny – as is Jeong and Romany Malco as the square, but well-meaning school principal, plus, to a lesser extent, Chris Wylde as the science teacher. The film also may be a bit predictable, but it throws in enough minor curve balls and makes the proceedings entertaining and fresh enough to create its own legacy. As realistic as the core story feels, the movie does sacrifice some realism by overplaying the self-absorption of the mean characters, underplaying the reactions of the protagonists and allowing some of the story's details to become a bit far-fetched. (There's no way that a school administration would get away with or even try confiscating all the students' cell phones – and Madison's designated documentarian seems to have an omnipresence that would make any god jealous.) "The Duff" may not be the all-time strongest entry into the sub-genre of teen angst movies, but I believe it will stand the test of time. I can think of at least one person who won't be happy about that, but the former star of "Lizzie McGuire" is just going to have to deal with it. That's life. And so is "The Duff", at least for this generation of teens. "B+"