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Stacy and Lydia are BFFs who've always dreamed about having epic Bat Mitzvahs. However, things start to go comically awry when a popular boy and middle school drama threatens their friendship and their rite of passage.

The Sandler family absolutely surprised me here. While I am a massive fan of Adam, his Netflix comedies often fall flat on their face. His comedic outings just do not work anymore, and his production company is constantly putting out mediocrity. All of that said, this feels like an outlier. I questioned the idea of including his daughters, but they show up and show out. Stacy, the focal point of the story, is a compelling main character, and her relationship with Lydia is excellent and authentic. This story, while familiar and a bit silly on occasion, has an emotional impact that stuck with me much longer than expected. While the filmmaking is not nearly as impressive, there is an “Eighth Grade” feeling to what they are going for here. The coming-of-age aspect is handled with care.

The best aspect is showcasing this culture, the impact of a Bat Mitzvah on a young child’s life, and the work that goes into it. The Bat Mitzvahs we see here are obviously over-the-top, but what isn’t exaggerated in a Sandler comedy nowadays? We get those moments that will just have you scratching your head, and certain characters that feel cartoonish, but they never comprise the story at hand. This film nails its target demographic; I imagine young girls watching this and falling in love with the leads. It also does a nice job of making you feel every ounce of embarrassment when something happens to one of our main characters. It definitely goes overboard at times, but “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” has heart, and the Sandler family is surprisingly great. Adam also plays it cool here; it feels like he is just being himself, which is completely fine.

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