A beloved underseen comedy movie is climbing up the Netflix charts

It came from the director of Superbad.

A critically acclaimed comedy movie that nevertheless went sadly underseen upon release is currently climbing up the Netflix charts.

That film is 2009’s Adventureland, an ’80s-set comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart as workers at a run-down amusement park.

The plot synopsis reads:

“It’s the summer of 1987, and recent college grad James Brennan (Eisenberg) can’t wait to begin his long-anticipated dream trip to Europe. Unfortunately, James’ plans come to a screeching halt when his parents announce that they are unable to subsidise his trip.

“Forced to take a job at the local amusement park, James prepares for the worst summer ever, until he finds love with a captivating co-worker named Em (Stewart).”

Also featuring amongst its cast Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Martin Starr and Ryan Reynolds, the movie was director Greg Mottola’s follow-up to the 2007 smash-hit comedy Superbad.

And though Adventureland earned a very positive 88% Rotten Tomatoes score and grossed $17.2 million at the box office on a reported $9.8 million budget, it was far from the financial hit that Superbad was two years previously.

However, it seems as though the 2009 romantic comedy-drama is getting a second-life on Netflix, having been added to streaming service in Ireland earlier this month.

It is currently at number eight in Netflix’s top 10 movies chart in Ireland.

Kristen Stewart in Adventureland, which is now streaming on Netflix

You can read a sample of some of the positive reviews Adventureland earned from critics right here:

The Guardian: “A tremendously funny and touching coming-of-age story, which [Mottola] has set in the 1980s with a sprinkling of nicely chosen cultural references.”

The Independent (UK): “It is a coming-of-age picture which seems not so different from any other but hits delightfully odd notes thanks to Mottola’s terrifically smart script and a cast of mostly eager young actors.”

MSN Movies: “Mottola’s made a movie that will work like a voodoo charm on a small-but-dedicated audience: onetime slackers who’ll not only dig the soundtrack but, probably, be sure to get it on vinyl.”

Washington Post: “Thanks to an exceptionally deft touch, Mottola manages to capture the absurdity and anguish of young adulthood, while never sacrificing meaning on the altar of crude humour.”

Adventureland is streaming on Netflix in Ireland and the UK. It is also streaming on Prime Video in US.

Read more:

LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge