Skip Nav
Love It. Save Your Favorites Now.
50 Unfiltered Thoughts For My Squirrel Friends Who Can't Stop Watching Netflix's Work It

An Unfiltered Review of Netflix's Work It

50 Unfiltered Thoughts For My Squirrel Friends Who Can't Stop Watching Netflix's Work It

Somehow we still haven't learned a damn thing about the four other members of the dance team aside from what skill they bring to the team; you gotta love that character building. "You think I don't see you staring at Jake like he's a pop quiz?" I've always approached pop quizzes with abject horror, but that's my story to tell another time. This is played for laughs (as it usually is), but please never approach your crush at their place of work. They're probably obligated to help you in some capacity and at that point, it's basically entrapment. I, too, want to know what happened the last time Harold was allowed to watch Fifty Shades of Grey. They should have known better than to be jumping around an older man like that!! The combination of bombastic beats by Big Freedia and all their tragically basic dance moves was too much for him. Quinn's application gets deferred, which is demoralizing. I sincerely hope she applied to other schools because that's just terrible planning on everyone's part if she doesn't have backups. Listen, I'm with the scrubs! A uniform that costs free ninety-nine is better than no uniform at all. I have no idea why this had to be the reason they got through on a technicality and I just want to talk to the person who decided to have it go down this way. Why do people keep acting like Quinn wanting to get into Duke with such passion is so weird? She's not hurting anyone, she's just forcing a group of people she doesn't know to join a dance squad! I think Jake's angst about his injury would feel more authentic if they paid attention to it more than just giving it a passing mention in the beginning. He gets over that chip on his shoulder pretty quickly. Anyway, Jake agrees to help them, and it has to be Quinn's allure that convinced him because TBD (the dance team) is a hot mess.
Image Source: Netflix

There are some days when you just need a cheesy bit of fluff as your choice of film, and Netflix's Work It is exactly that. The gist of the film is incredibly simple: hoping to convince her dream school to accept her, high school senior Quinn Ackerman (Sabrina Carpenter) decides to create a dance squad after her school's top-notch dance team — the Thunderbirds — rejects her because she is severely lacking in rhythm. Since the dance team has all the well-known dancers, Quinn and her best friend Jas (Liza Koshy) have to branch out and nab the "diamonds in the rough," aka the people who don't audition for the Thunderbirds. They round up a lovable — but not truly fleshed out — group of outcasts and fumble their way to victory!

Is this a particularly groundbreaking set up? Absolutely not. Is Work It basically the Gen Z lovechild of Bring It On and Step Up with a dash of Centre Stage? In the cheesiest way possible, yes! Am I still going to watch this whenever I need something ridiculous with a banging soundtrack and Jordan Fisher living up to the leading man potential that was snatched from him with that tragic John Ambrose ending in P.S. I Still Love You? You're damn right! So keep reading for some of the most unfiltered thoughts I had while watching Netflix's latest original movie, Work It.

We're starting this all off with a Kim Kardashian quote, so I'm immediately prepared for a boatload of pop culture references. The youths, they love that stuff. There isn't a Ted Talk in the world that could get me to take a cold shower every day. At least make it temperate! Can we do away with the idea that you don't need passable grades to go into a trade? Especially dance school. It's 2020, everyone has a craft, you better know how to dance and pass calculus. This could be biased because I've personally rocked the short cut in pastel, but Keiynan Lonsdale should always have this exact hairstyle. For the rest of eternity. Normalize telling people you don't accept their apology and you'd like them to pack up their things and clear out their lockers. Honestly, Quinn seems to have a great reason to care about getting into college. Most people choose where they go based on where their friends are going, the amount of financial aid they're getting, or just wherever they get accepted. At least she has sentimental value tied to her future education! Michelle Buteau should be in everything for the rest of time. "Can you do for cello, what Lizzo does for the flute?" This is now the standard that all musicians will be held to. Quinn was so clearly lying to Mrs. Ramirez that I'm going to assume she pretended to believe her out of pity.
Image Source: Netflix
  • We're starting this all off with a Kim Kardashian quote, so I'm immediately prepared for a boatload of pop culture references. The youths, they love that stuff.
  • There isn't a Ted Talk in the world that could get me to take a cold shower every day. At least make it temperate!
  • Can we do away with the idea that you don't need passable grades to go into a trade? Especially dance school. It's 2020, everyone has a craft, you better know how to dance and pass calculus.
  • This could be biased because I've personally rocked the short cut in pastel, but Keiynan Lonsdale should always have this exact hairstyle. For the rest of eternity.
  • Normalize telling people you don't accept their apology and you'd like them to pack up their things and clear out their lockers.
  • Honestly, Quinn seems to have a great reason to care about getting into college. Most people choose where they go based on where their friends are going, the amount of financial aid they're getting, or just wherever they get accepted. At least she has sentimental value tied to her future education!
  • Michelle Buteau should be in everything for the rest of time.
  • "Can you do for cello, what Lizzo does for the flute?" This is now the standard that all musicians will be held to.
  • Quinn was so clearly lying to Mrs. Ramirez that I'm going to assume she pretended to believe her out of pity.
1 / 4
People should break out into random dance battles more. I feel like that's what is really missing in our culture. I can't help but wonder if Isaiah/Juilliard chose the Thunderbirds' costumes to be that blush colour because it compliments his hair. I hope he did because the power that has . . . The dedication Carpenter put into her awkwardness as Quinn is truly a gift. As someone who has been part of two dance teams in my lifetime, it's physically painful to watch her. It's like hearing people clap on the one and three when you know it should be on the two and four. That was so bad, I actually felt my chest ache. I know he's supposed to be the villain, but Isaiah is so funny. Not an oversize sweater paired with wide-leg cropped jeans! Jordan Fisher playing the wounded ex-dancer with a chip on his shoulder? Into it. Here we go, the classic rounding up the misfits montage! I refuse to believe that there's a high schooler who knows how to make a mixtape on cassette in 2020, the year of Beyoncé. It takes ovaries to join a kids' dance class and keep going after they've all proven to be better than you. Especially since they barely have control over their motor skills at that age. Carpenter is so charismatic that I don't even mind how wildly out of beat she is. Even though I can still tell where she's missing steps!! Not to be that guy, but Carpenter and Fisher have some serious chemistry. Like, settle down, this is a dance lesson, not a private show.
Image Source: Netflix
  • People should break out into random dance battles more. I feel like that's what is really missing in our culture.
  • I can't help but wonder if Isaiah/Juilliard chose the Thunderbirds' costumes to be that blush colour because it compliments his hair. I hope he did because the power that has . . .
  • The dedication Carpenter put into her awkwardness as Quinn is truly a gift. As someone who has been part of two dance teams in my lifetime, it's physically painful to watch her. It's like hearing people clap on the one and three when you know it should be on the two and four.
  • That was so bad, I actually felt my chest ache.
  • I know he's supposed to be the villain, but Isaiah is so funny.
  • Not an oversize sweater paired with wide-leg cropped jeans!
  • Jordan Fisher playing the wounded ex-dancer with a chip on his shoulder? Into it.
  • Here we go, the classic rounding up the misfits montage! I refuse to believe that there's a high schooler who knows how to make a mixtape on cassette in 2020, the year of Beyoncé.
  • It takes ovaries to join a kids' dance class and keep going after they've all proven to be better than you. Especially since they barely have control over their motor skills at that age.
  • Carpenter is so charismatic that I don't even mind how wildly out of beat she is. Even though I can still tell where she's missing steps!!
  • Not to be that guy, but Carpenter and Fisher have some serious chemistry. Like, settle down, this is a dance lesson, not a private show.
2 / 4
Somehow we still haven't learned a damn thing about the four other members of the dance team aside from what skill they bring to the team; you gotta love that character building. "You think I don't see you staring at Jake like he's a pop quiz?" I've always approached pop quizzes with abject horror, but that's my story to tell another time. This is played for laughs (as it usually is), but please never approach your crush at their place of work. They're probably obligated to help you in some capacity and at that point, it's basically entrapment. I, too, want to know what happened the last time Harold was allowed to watch Fifty Shades of Grey. They should have known better than to be jumping around an older man like that!! The combination of bombastic beats by Big Freedia and all their tragically basic dance moves was too much for him. Quinn's application gets deferred, which is demoralizing. I sincerely hope she applied to other schools because that's just terrible planning on everyone's part if she doesn't have backups. Listen, I'm with the scrubs! A uniform that costs free ninety-nine is better than no uniform at all. I have no idea why this had to be the reason they got through on a technicality and I just want to talk to the person who decided to have it go down this way. Why do people keep acting like Quinn wanting to get into Duke with such passion is so weird? She's not hurting anyone, she's just forcing a group of people she doesn't know to join a dance squad! I think Jake's angst about his injury would feel more authentic if they paid attention to it more than just giving it a passing mention in the beginning. He gets over that chip on his shoulder pretty quickly. Anyway, Jake agrees to help them, and it has to be Quinn's allure that convinced him because TBD (the dance team) is a hot mess.
Image Source: Netflix
  • Somehow we still haven't learned a damn thing about the four other members of the dance team aside from what skill they bring to the team; you gotta love that character building.
  • "You think I don't see you staring at Jake like he's a pop quiz?" I've always approached pop quizzes with abject horror, but that's my story to tell another time.
  • This is played for laughs (as it usually is), but please never approach your crush at their place of work. They're probably obligated to help you in some capacity and at that point, it's basically entrapment.
  • I, too, want to know what happened the last time Harold was allowed to watch Fifty Shades of Grey.
  • They should have known better than to be jumping around an older man like that!! The combination of bombastic beats by Big Freedia and all their tragically basic dance moves was too much for him.
  • Quinn's application gets deferred, which is demoralizing. I sincerely hope she applied to other schools because that's just terrible planning on everyone's part if she doesn't have backups.
  • Listen, I'm with the scrubs! A uniform that costs free ninety-nine is better than no uniform at all.
  • I have no idea why this had to be the reason they got through on a technicality and I just want to talk to the person who decided to have it go down this way.
  • Why do people keep acting like Quinn wanting to get into Duke with such passion is so weird? She's not hurting anyone, she's just forcing a group of people she doesn't know to join a dance squad!
  • I think Jake's angst about his injury would feel more authentic if they paid attention to it more than just giving it a passing mention in the beginning. He gets over that chip on his shoulder pretty quickly.
  • Anyway, Jake agrees to help them, and it has to be Quinn's allure that convinced him because TBD (the dance team) is a hot mess.
3 / 4
The reveal that the team has the infamous Jake Taylor to choreograph their routine leads Isaiah to sabotage them by telling Jake's boss he's been letting TBD practice in the studio for free. Seems like an extremely petty reason to get someone fired, since Jake is a real grown-up with bills to pay, but sure, let's go with it! Somehow, Quinn's grades have radically fallen in the span of what has to be less than a month (but whatever, time is a social construct!) and she's spiraling. So, obviously, she has to quit the team! Frankly speaking, Quinn is the worst dancer of the group and they'd be better off without her. But it's high school and everything is heightened, especially betrayal. I know Jake doesn't have a job anymore, but watching Priya's Instagram Live and racing to find Quinn after is a little much. Just text her, dude. Sincerely confused about why TBD would have to disband without Quinn — they're still in the competition — but Quinn gets to be pouty for like a week. Somehow, the life-changing advice she gets is that there's no point in being ambitious, just have fun! Because there's absolutely no happy medium there. You can't work hard to get into your dream college and have a life. See, this is what these themes always do to me, they make me sound like my mother! Apparently, all Quinn needed to do to learn how to dance was listen to Ciara's "Thinkin' Bout You," which is fair because it's a bop. She runs to Jake's house (I know her mother would not approve of that kind of after-school activity) and apologises to him, even though I've already forgotten what she did to "hurt" him. Oh, she indirectly got him fired and then quit the dance team that was the reason for him losing his job in the first place; I remember now! Quinn shows off her newfound dance skills in a routine that quickly turns sultry and all is forgiven. Seriously, if her mom had issues with her being on the dance team, she is not going to like this new extracurricular activity! The band is mostly back together and Raven makes her funny quip of the scene before we launch into a random dance montage, because Jake believes they all need to learn each other's dance styles. It's giving me very much Step Up 2: The Streets. Jas and Quinn reconcile after Isaiah works Jas's last nerve and then suddenly it's the day of the competition! Quinn's mom is refusing to let her leave the house for the dance competition "dressed like Shakira," so Quinn decides to throw the deuces and steal her mom's car to get to the Work It contest. Teenage rebellion! The Thunderbirds perform their routine, and I don't care how much heart TBD has, they can't beat them. The power that Isaiah in a feathered cage top has? The intelligence that that has, the clearance that that has, the access that that has, the influence that has, the profile that has, the international implications that that has? Please! TBD goes on, with Quinn coming in right in the middle of the routine, and I appreciate these kids, but this isn't like the finale of Sister Act 2 when Sister Mary Clarence gets them to take off their robes and they put on a rendition of "Joyful, Joyful" that makes you believe there might be something bigger out there for less than five minutes. Basically, I'm saying TBD should come in second place. So, obviously, TBD wins by three points! A scout from New York School of Dance reaches out to both Jas and Isaiah (who congratulates TBD because it's boring winning all the time) and Ms. Ramirez shows up, revealing to Quinn that she now works admissions at NYU, which Quinn should look into since Duke hasn't worked out. If it feels like Carpenter, Koshy, and Buteau are in a much funnier movie than Work It actually is most of the time, they are! But that's what makes the film more enjoyable than it should be. Quinn and Jake celebrate their winnings with a very . . . athletic kiss (to Carpenter's single from the movie soundtrack) and truly have me wondering where her mother is because she could probably do with a clue as to what her daughter is using those dance lessons for. But they're so cute, I'm letting it go! Quinn ends the film by letting us know that Einstein was right, "Dancers are the athletes of God," and all she knows right now is that it isn't that hard to follow a four-count. The rest, of course, is TBD. So, that definitely means a sequel — right, Netflix?
Image Source: Netflix
  • The reveal that the team has the infamous Jake Taylor to choreograph their routine leads Isaiah to sabotage them by telling Jake's boss he's been letting TBD practice in the studio for free. Seems like an extremely petty reason to get someone fired, since Jake is a real grown-up with bills to pay, but sure, let's go with it!
  • Somehow, Quinn's grades have radically fallen in the span of what has to be less than a month (but whatever, time is a social construct!) and she's spiraling. So, obviously, she has to quit the team!
  • Frankly speaking, Quinn is the worst dancer of the group and they'd be better off without her. But it's high school and everything is heightened, especially betrayal.
  • I know Jake doesn't have a job anymore, but watching Priya's Instagram Live and racing to find Quinn after is a little much. Just text her, dude.
  • Sincerely confused about why TBD would have to disband without Quinn — they're still in the competition — but Quinn gets to be pouty for like a week. Somehow, the life-changing advice she gets is that there's no point in being ambitious, just have fun! Because there's absolutely no happy medium there. You can't work hard to get into your dream college and have a life. See, this is what these themes always do to me, they make me sound like my mother!
  • Apparently, all Quinn needed to do to learn how to dance was listen to Ciara's "Thinkin' Bout You," which is fair because it's a bop.
  • She runs to Jake's house (I know her mother would not approve of that kind of after-school activity) and apologises to him, even though I've already forgotten what she did to "hurt" him.
  • Oh, she indirectly got him fired and then quit the dance team that was the reason for him losing his job in the first place; I remember now!
  • Quinn shows off her newfound dance skills in a routine that quickly turns sultry and all is forgiven. Seriously, if her mom had issues with her being on the dance team, she is not going to like this new extracurricular activity!
  • The band is mostly back together and Raven makes her funny quip of the scene before we launch into a random dance montage, because Jake believes they all need to learn each other's dance styles. It's giving me very much Step Up 2: The Streets.
  • Jas and Quinn reconcile after Isaiah works Jas's last nerve and then suddenly it's the day of the competition!
  • Quinn's mom is refusing to let her leave the house for the dance competition "dressed like Shakira," so Quinn decides to throw the deuces and steal her mom's car to get to the Work It contest. Teenage rebellion!
  • The Thunderbirds perform their routine, and I don't care how much heart TBD has, they can't beat them. The power that Isaiah in a feathered cage top has? The intelligence that that has, the clearance that that has, the access that that has, the influence that has, the profile that has, the international implications that that has? Please!
  • TBD goes on, with Quinn coming in right in the middle of the routine, and I appreciate these kids, but this isn't like the finale of Sister Act 2 when Sister Mary Clarence gets them to take off their robes and they put on a rendition of "Joyful, Joyful" that makes you believe there might be something bigger out there for less than five minutes. Basically, I'm saying TBD should come in second place.
  • So, obviously, TBD wins by three points! A scout from New York School of Dance reaches out to both Jas and Isaiah (who congratulates TBD because it's boring winning all the time) and Ms. Ramirez shows up, revealing to Quinn that she now works admissions at NYU, which Quinn should look into since Duke hasn't worked out.
  • If it feels like Carpenter, Koshy, and Buteau are in a much funnier movie than Work It actually is most of the time, they are! But that's what makes the film more enjoyable than it should be.
  • Quinn and Jake celebrate their winnings with a very . . . athletic kiss (to Carpenter's single from the movie soundtrack) and truly have me wondering where her mother is because she could probably do with a clue as to what her daughter is using those dance lessons for. But they're so cute, I'm letting it go!
  • Quinn ends the film by letting us know that Einstein was right, "Dancers are the athletes of God," and all she knows right now is that it isn't that hard to follow a four-count. The rest, of course, is TBD.
  • So, that definitely means a sequel — right, Netflix?
4 / 4
In Our Sad Girl Era: Why Are We Obsessed With Misery Porn?
Netflix
In Our Sad Girl Era: The Reason We're Obsessed With Misery Porn
by Lauren Gordon 15/2
Sabrina Carpenter's Makeup Look Explained by Her MUA
Celebrity Beauty
Sabrina Carpenter's Makeup Artist Breaks Down Her Signature Look
by Ariel Baker 09/2
The Buccaneers Book Summary
The Buccaneers
What to Know About the Novel That Inspired "The Buccaneers" TV Show
by Amanda Prahl 06/11/23
Is All the Light We Cannot See a True Story?
Netflix
The Real Events That Inspired Netflix's "All the Light We Cannot See"
by Alicia Geigel 03/11/23
Jason Oppenheim Is Selling Sunset's Biggest Villain
Netflix
"Selling Sunset"'s Biggest Villain This Season? Jason Oppenheim
by Victoria Edel 03/11/23
Is Lessons in Chemistry Based on a True Story?
Apple TV
"Lessons in Chemistry" Is a Fictional Take on a Real Era in Science
by Amanda Prahl 13/10/23

Now You Know

Which Love Island Couples Are Still Together?

Entertainment

The "Love Island" Couples Still Together Prove Reality TV Can Work as Cupid

by Joely Chilcott 15/1

Entertainment

The Latest "Priscilla" Trailer Highlights the Ups and Downs of Her Relationship With Elvis

by Eden Arielle Gordon 04/10/23

Entertainment

Why Are So Many of Us Personally Invested in Celebrity Breakups?

by Ali Faccenda 03/10/23

Entertainment

Miley Cyrus Responds to Video of Adele Praising "Used to Be Young" at Las Vegas Show

by Eden Arielle Gordon 30/8/23

Latest Entertainment
We're Hiring! Write For Us Advertise With Us Accessibility Contact Archives
Power Your Happy
Terms Privacy Policy
©2024 Vox Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.