The Internship (2013)

A 119-minute recruiting video for Google, with Vince Vaughn talking fast enough that you might not notice there’s no plot. Billy and Nick are watch salesmen with zero tech skills, and the movie treats that as charming instead of a problem. They win people over with pep talks and 1980s references, a Flashdance speech included, while the actual coders around them get flattened into types: the snob, the shut-in, the nervous kid. A Quidditch match on campus is the funniest stretch, mostly because nobody on screen knows the rules either. Owen Wilson is sweet and sleepy, and his romance with Rose Byrne’s executive arrives with zero sparks. Max Minghella has a ball as the smug British rival intern. Dylan O’Brien’s Stuart, glued to his phone, gets the closest thing to an arc. It made $93.5 million worldwide on a reported $58M. A 3.8 because the stars are likable and the whole thing plays like an extended ad. $291.09 says you search something on your phone halfway through and feel weirdly guilty about it.

What works: Vaughn and Wilson still have easy chemistry, and the Quidditch match gives the team one loose, genuinely funny scene.

What doesn’t: The story is a predictable underdog formula, the young interns are thin types, and the worship of the company gets embarrassing fast.

Who it’s for: Fans of Vaughn and Wilson who want a gentle reunion and don’t mind feeling like they just toured a corporate campus.