Cha Cha Real Smooth
Kids say
Based on 1 review
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Cha Cha Real Smooth
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Cha Cha Real Smooth is a coming-of-age drama about a recent college grad named Andrew (Cooper Raiff). It deals with serious themes, including the challenge of finding a real job/career, the responsibilities of adult life, mental health issues, neurodivergence, love, and loss. Andrew gets gigs as a "party starter" at bar and bat mitzvahs. He meets and falls in love with Domino (Dakota Johnson), who has a daughter with autism. Andrew embodies the reality that your twenties can be a time of self-discovery and big feelings, as well as making (and learning from) mistakes. He and his friends drink heavily on occasion, including while he's at work and before driving. Characters flirt, kiss, and have sex. There's no nudity, but a woman tells her lover to go "harder." A middle schooler is dating and planning his first kiss. Expect lots of strong language, including "f--k," "s--t," "goddamn," "bitch," "p---y," "d--k," "Jesus Christ," and more.
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What's the Story?
When CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH begins, Andrew (Cooper Raiff, who also wrote and directed the film) is graduating from college and seeing his girlfriend (Amara Pedroso) off to Barcelona on a Fulbright scholarship. He, in turn, is moving home and working at a local fast food joint part-time. Home includes his mom (Leslie Mann), younger brother David (Evan Assante), and stiff stepdad, Greg (Brad Garrett). Chaperoning David to a Bar Mitzvah, Andrew discovers his talent for "party starting" and lands a few new gigs. He also meets the mysterious Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt), who has autism. Andrew falls in love with Domino, and she's attracted to him, too, despite their age difference -- and the fact that she's engaged to Joseph (Raúl Castillo).
Is It Any Good?
This drama is quirky and touching, and it hinges on magnetic central performances from Raiff, Johnson, and Mann. If you crossed Woody Allen with Edward Burns, you might get something like Cha Cha Real Smooth writer-director-star Raiff. His Andrew is nerdy and prone to misspeak, but he's also kind, sensitive, and ready to discover the world -- or at least greater New Jersey. His neuroses and blunders can be humorous, like his sweet and sometimes misguided advice to brother David, but they also get him into trouble. When he makes yet another imprudent move, while he's drunk to boot, his excuse -- or realization -- that he's just a "dumb kid" feels significant. He even asks his mom how much more growing up he still has left to do. Your twenties can be fun, but the uncertainty and the missteps can be difficult, too.
Raiff's performance makes Andrew feel somehow both rock solid and trustworthy, yet always on the verge of possibly breaking down. Johnson matches him, as does Mann as his unstable but loving mom. When Domino and Andrew eventually break up (as you suspect they will all along), the scene captures the essence of what's so fundamentally different about being an unencumbered 22-year-old versus a 30-something with dependents and responsibilities.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Andrew and Domino's love story in Cha Cha Real Smooth would be considered unlikely. What separates them?
What positive life lessons does Andrew impart to his younger brother?
What role does music play in this movie? How would you describe the film's mood?
What's the significance of a bar or bat mitzvah?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 17, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: June 17, 2022
- Cast: Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann
- Director: Cooper Raiff
- Studio: Apple TV+
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Friendship
- Run time: 107 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language and some sexual content
- Last updated: July 30, 2022
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