The Inbetweeners 2 (2014)
★★★ — The Inbetweeners 2 (2014)
The Inbetweeners 2 arrived in August 2014 as the follow-up to the 2011 original film, itself spun off from the beloved Channel 4 sitcom that ran from 2008 to 2010. Series co-creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris again wrote and directed, relocating the gang from the Costa del Sol to Australia for a gap-year premise that gave the production a sunnier, more expensive canvas to work with. Film4 backed both pictures, and the gamble paid off considerably, with the sequel grossing over £45 million at the UK box office alone, making it one of the highest-grossing British comedies of its year. It reunited all four leads (Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison, and Joe Thomas) at a point when each was already pursuing other television and film work, meaning the window for further sequels was closing fairly quickly after this.
It’s not bad… but it’s definitely not great. More like meh, with a few proper laughs sprinkled in. There are definitely moments that land (Will playing the guitar, Neil feeding dolphins a burger). Those bits still scratch that Inbetweeners itch. And any time Simon gets humiliated or Jay says something monumentally stupid, you can’t help but chuckle. But let’s be honest, a lot of this feels like retreading old ground. The gang’s still clueless, still desperate, still failing at life, but it starts to feel less awkwardly real and more just… repetitive. Some jokes fall flat, some subplots go nowhere, and the whole thing occasionally feels like a long, slightly tired reunion special. And yeah the "poo in the face" gag? Funny? Sure. Original? Not even close. It’s basically a direct lift from Kevin & Perry Go Large , which did it bigger and dafter nearly 20 years earlier. It’s still watchable, especially if you’re with mates and just want a few easy laughs. But compared to the first film? This one’s definitely the second-best effort.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2014 | Watched: 2025-05-16
Where to watch (UK)
Rent: Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · Sky Store · YouTube
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK
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