Parents' Guide to Never Change!

Movie NR 2026 103 minutes
Never Change! movie poster: Characters emerge out of a school bus.

Common Sense Media Review

Jennifer Green By Jennifer Green , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Graphic sex talk, violence, drugs in raunchy comedy.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

In NEVER CHANGE!, the high school class of 2008—which never got to graduate because a tornado ripped through their school—is brought back in 2026 to fulfill requirements and rites of passage. Their two weeks back in high school will revive old loves, offer second chances and do-overs, and reveal lessons for people still carrying around questions about how high school went for them. That includes class valedictorian Amelia (Jo Firestone), former couple Sunny (John Reynolds) and popular girl Katie (Sofia Black-D'Elia), bar owner dad Tedi (Carmen Christopher), and down-on-his-luck nice guy Curtis (Gary Richardson).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

What could have been a hilarious send-up of adulthood flounders in an unsubtle high school comedy. Having said that, it's possible that Never Change! will find a cult audience who just loves this kind of humor. From the mind behind Joe Pera Talks With You, A Maine Movie, and more, Never Change! does have some funny bits and a couple of endearing characters. Other moments and characters are odd. Still others are grating or poorly developed. The premise of a bunch of adults having to return to high school has so much promise, but the weird-for-weird's-sake result feels disappointing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the premise of Never Change! Can you imagine going back to a past time in your life? How do you think you'd react? Which experiences would you like to repeat, and which would you prefer to avoid?

  • Which character's story interested you the most and the least, and why?

  • Are drinking, smoking, or drug use normalized here? Are there realistic consequences for their use? Why does that matter?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Never Change! movie poster: Characters emerge out of a school bus.

What to Watch Next

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate