100% Coco New York (2019)

Directed by: Ruud Schuurman | 78 minutes | comedy | Actors: Nola Kemper, Genelva Krind, Ethan Allington, Valentijn Avé, Lottie Hellingman, Rienus Krul, Chris King Perryman, Charlotte Boudry, Dionne Slagter, Sterre Koning, Stefania Liberakakis, Sheling Kamkes

The fun premise of Tessa Schram’s 2017 ‘100% Coco’, in which a misfit becomes a fashion influencer in a harsh world of mean girls, is continued in the bite-sized sequel ‘100% Coco New York’. A lot less original than the original though.

Adolescent Coco, eternally ageless like the competitors of ‘Brugklas’ and ‘Spangas’, still sympathetically played by Nola Kemper, has hooked her dream friend Bruno (Valentijn Avé), but he wants to break up with him during the summer holidays (#bummer ). Blushing Coco doesn’t get it, puts on pink glasses in desperation and leaves for New York City to attend the Fashion Summer School, a result of her successful Style Tiger films, with which she already conquered the Netherlands.

Parents in unisex attire accompany her (#awkward). Slimy secrets try to bring her down, friendships are born; meanwhile, a new hunk is in the picture. What should you do as a teenage girl, if your courtship in Portugal turns out to be the best? This kind of content is acceptable to the target group and is credibly presented with ditto actors, but a lot of corny clichés are unleashed on us, OMG: New Yorkers don’t drive an open American, nor do they live in a designer apartment when they live in are going through puberty and have a dark complexion. Black people do play basketball, that’s right.

Would older young people have made this film? #okboomer. ‘100% Coco New York’ is an old-fashioned, conservative teenage girl film, with a protagonist you can’t hate, and the happy ending you expect. Or not? Not really. We would have liked to see an extra step. Not a bisexual Coco, but with a sharper edge. Puppy loves (and true loves) are of all times, but young teenagers are really not as innocently romantic as is suggested here by Ruud Schuurman (‘The Club of Sinterklaas’). #noway.