Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Nerdy high school senior Dizzy Harrison has finally gotten lucky -- after purposely getting expelled, he takes lessons in 'badass cool' from a convict and enrolls at a new school. But can he keep up the ruse?
The New Guy is a formulaic teen comedy that hits every expected beat of the makeover/identity-swap genre without adding anything distinctive. The plot follows a well-worn path of loser reinventing himself, with predictable obstacles and resolution. Acting is serviceable but unremarkable from the mostly B-list cast. Cinematography is standard early-2000s teen comedy fare with no visual ambition. Novelty is low as the film recycles tropes from countless similar high school comedies. The ending resolves exactly as expected with no surprises. A mildly entertaining but thoroughly average entry in the genre.