Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Coming-of-age Bollywood dance comedy with language, drugs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Best of the Best (2026)
What's the Story?
Maya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Anjali (Priyanka Kedia) have been best friends their whole lives when they head off to share a dorm room at UCLA at the start of BEST OF THE BEST. They are also both great dancers, with a background in Bollywood dance, so they decide to audition together for the school's competitive Bollywood dance team. They make the team, but that's where tensions begin, as one of them is picked to lead the troupe, and the other starts making enemies by being too outspoken.
Is It Any Good?
Capturing some of the same magic as the popular series Never Have I Ever, which also stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, this college-set film boasts relatable characters and a fun Bollywood dance backdrop. The dance scenes in Best of the Best are rousing, but the dialogues in between are equally attention-grabbing. There are some very funny asides, jokes, and general Gen Z musings in the fast-moving script (co-written by Hasan Minhaj and his regular collaborator Prashanth Venkataramanujam). The film mostly hits the right notes of universality, empathy, and comedy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what lessons Maya and Anjali learn about themselves and their friendships in Best of the Best. Do you have a best friend? How would you compare your relationship to the one at the center of this film?
The film contains jokes about South Asian culture, including some comparisons to "White people." Do the jokes ever go too far, in your opinion? When is it OK to joke about other people's cultures, and when is it not, in your experience?
Do you think this film gives an accurate portrayal of college life? How so, or why not?
Are the main characters role models? What character strengths do they demonstrate?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 18, 2026
- Cast : Maitreyi Ramakrishnan , Priyanka Kedia , Hasan Minhaj
- Director : Lena Khan
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Arts ( Dance ) , Competition , Friendship , School ( College & Graduate School )
- Character Strengths : Empathy , Teamwork
- Run time : 112 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong language, sexual material, some teen drinking, drug material and brief smoking
- Last updated : September 30, 2026
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