Rock Paper Scissors

This film is one near and dear to my heart, I was involved from the start and so glad that it has finally been picked up. My wife and I watched it together and totally enjoyed it, a few scenes not meant for kids but lots of laughs throughout the film. Great to see so many kids from the area with nice size roles as well as cameos. Cinematography and soundtrack were stellar and they both kept the pace up so time flew by. The character development was wonderful to watch as the movie progressed. Cheers to everyone involved!

This film was funny and the actors were great. It was light and very entertaining. Well done.

The 2021 adaptation of Rock Paper Scissors is one of those films that sounds clever on paper but completely falls apart in execution. When a movie borrows its title from a universally known childhood game, there's an immediate expectation of creativity, symbolism, or at least a clever structural hook. Unfortunately, this film uses the recognizable name as little more than bait, offering a story that feels disconnected from its own premise and ultimately lacking a strong narrative identity.

From the very beginning, the movie struggles with tone. It never fully commits to being a comedy, but it also doesn't have the emotional weight or dramatic structure to function as a serious drama. This awkward middle ground makes the film feel unfocused and confused, as if multiple genres were stitched together without a clear vision. Scenes that should feel funny land flat, while moments that seem to aim for depth feel rushed and underdeveloped. The result is a movie that constantly feels like it's searching for its own purpose.

The screenplay is where the film suffers the most. The dialogue often sounds forced and unnatural, and the plot progression lacks urgency. Rather than building toward meaningful conflicts, the story drifts from one situation to the next without a strong sense of stakes. The connection to the "rock, paper, scissors" concept feels purely cosmetic, which makes the title feel misleading. There is never a moment where the film justifies why it chose that name or what it's trying to say through that metaphor.

The performances are serviceable but hampered by the weak material. The actors do their best to sell the story, but it's hard to feel invested when the characters aren't written with depth or consistency. There's a noticeable lack of chemistry between the cast members, making emotional moments feel hollow. Instead of feeling like a cohesive ensemble, everyone feels like they're acting in different versions of the same movie.

Visually, the film doesn't bring much to the table either. The direction is basic and uninspired, lacking any memorable sequences or standout stylistic choices. The cinematography feels flat, the editing is choppy in places, and the pacing never finds a comfortable rhythm. It's the kind of movie that feels longer than its runtime simply because it fails to engage or surprise.

By the time the credits roll, Rock Paper Scissors leaves very little impact. There's no satisfying payoff, no clever twist, and no lasting emotional resonance. Instead of feeling like a clever reimagining or an inventive indie concept, it feels like a project that never quite figured out what it wanted to be. While it may appeal to the most casual viewers looking for background noise, it's hard to recommend as a meaningful or enjoyable cinematic experience.

I almost decided to pass after discovering that it apparently doesn't exist .(Not a single review on Rotten Tomatoes? Really?) But I'm glad I sat down and watched because it's far better--without being "great." or "destined for classic and/or cult status"--than I assumed it was on the basis of its obscurity.

I appreciated the fact that the actors playing high schoolers actually looked young enough to BE in h.s. (In fact, most actually looked too young to play seniors. Lol.) The lead, Vahe Sevani, is immensely appealing, although I'm puzzled why the script made him an L. A. transplant rather than a New Yorker because he has much more of an "East Coast Vibe."

I met one of the filmmakers a few years ago at a horror festival and he told me about how they stretched a $550k budget to make this movie work. The final tournament is an impressive feat considering what they had to work with. Budget aside though you can't argue with a good script and though it's far from his horror stories this film has some funny stuff and classic one-liners.