Never Change! Review: Hulu’s Surprisingly Heartfelt Comedy Thrives [Tribeca]

In 2008, the graduating class of North Meadows high school left believing they’d only ever return for a reunion. However, a bureaucratic loophole is bringing them back to campus 18 years later, with everyone now in their mid-30s to complete the final weeks of their twelfth grade education.

That’s the story of Never Change!, a new comedy film coming to Hulu this month, which premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival. The film is written by and stars John Reynolds, whose previous work includes Search Party, Stranger Things, and Yellowjackets. This new project, with its enticing, 2000s-esque premise, works surprisingly well overall.

Never Change! Is A Reminder Of Comedy’s Potential

Never Change! is releasing in an ever-changing comedy landscape. Demand for the genre has shifted drastically over the last twenty years, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other major franchises began to incorporate more humorous elements into their films – Joss Whedon’s The Avengers is, for all intents and purposes, an action comedy. Audiences suddenly got their comedy fix from other sources, which diluted the box office returns for movies like Never Change! and likely explains how it ended up destined for streaming. Regardless, the film shows just how successful the comedy genre can be, wherever one finds it.

Not every joke lands; some moments steer uncomfortably close to being outright cringe-inducing. Still, over the course of its quick 90-minute runtime, the film ultimately boasts an impressive hit-to-miss ratio. When Never Change! finds its groove, its funniest moments aren’t built around big set pieces or elaborate gags, but instead come from quick, offhand remarks and dry one-liners. It’s within these smaller, more natural moments that the movie genuinely finds its comedic footing.

It does take time to get to that place, however. Never Change! starts out slowly, and the film’s opening montage highlighting the news that the adults will need to go back to high school feels more like a poorly written Saturday Night Live skit than anything else. However, it recovers once it taps into its comedic identity. From there, Never Change! goes from strength to strength, evolving into a surprisingly funny and truly heartfelt comedy.

Never Change! also features some fun cameos, which are sure to delight audiences. The danger with these sorts of appearances is that they appear gimmicky, but the film largely avoids this issue. Topher Grace, for example, has a small supporting role as a filmmaker who’s asked to take charge of an old play he wrote while he was in high school (and one that he can’t update, for some strange reason). Grace brings his typical charm to the role without taking the shine away from any of the film’s main stars, with Reynolds and Sofia Black-D’Elia giving career-best performances to date.

Despite the success of the comedy, it’s the wholesome nature of the story, and some of the characters, that makes Never Change! truly stand out. The film explores a number of relatable themes, from adults looking back on their life choices with regret to those who seek nothing more than a second chance to put things right. This is seen in the relationship between Sunny (Reynolds) and Katie (Black-D’Elia), both of whom are reminded of how different their lives are than what they thought they’d be when they were in high school. Despite the absurdity of the premise, the film boils down to these existential dilemmas, making it a story that audiences can not only laugh at, but resonate with as well.

Never Change! screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and premieres on Hulu June 17.

Release Date

June 17, 2026

Runtime

98 Minutes

Director

Marty Schousboe

Writers

John Reynolds

Producers

Jason Woliner, Billy Rosenberg, Jeremy Garelick, Jon Watts, Molle DeBartolo, Will Phelps, Nicholas Hatton

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  Sofia Black-D’Elia

  Katie Cartwright

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  John Reynolds

  Sunny Football