Directed By: Laura Terruso

Starring: Sabrina Carpenter,  Jordan Fisher, and Liza Koshy (plus many more).

Release Date: August 7, 2020

MPAA Rating: TV-14

School has taken a major turn, as I’m sure everyone is aware of. With most education being moved to online schooling, the closest most get to actual schools now are through pictures, videos, shows, or movies. 

The movie “Work It” directed by Laura Terruso and released on August 7, 2020, is framed around a bustling and elite high school that is focused around the creative elements that students can harness and express. One of those major elements includes the art of dance.

The movie follows the story of a young girl, Quinn Ackerman (played by Sabrina Carpenter), as she unlocks a fire inside herself that she’s kept caged in books and impressive grades. She recruits her best friend, Jasmine Hale (played by Liza Koshy), to help her form a dance team of misfit individuals that they consider the “diamonds in the rough”.

Quinn’s strongly set goal is to get into Duke University, the same school that her father who had passed away had gone to. In order to make the things she said in her interview completely true, she has to form her very own dance team, when she was rejected by the original one at the high school she attended.

“It was definitely out of character for her,” says Jada Perry, a sophomore at Palo Verde High School, in reference to Quinn’s blatant lie. This is made up for as she gathers misfits and forms them into a supportive and newly passionate group of dancers. 

Quinn also continues to seek out Jake Taylor (played by Jordan Fisher), a once well known and amazing dancer within the dancing community, in an attempt to convince him to choreograph for their new team. 

It was an “interesting and cute thing”, said Anjela Ryan, a junior at Palo Verde, as she watched Quinn’s attempts at persuasion.

The team went forward to make it to the finals on a technicality in the qualifying auditions for the big “Work It” dance competition, which was important because of the college recruiters that would be there. 

“I was hoping Quinn would kind of do better than the other team,” Alicia Kasan, another junior at Palo Verde, says as she approached the audition scene. The Thunderbirds were their biggest competition, as it was the school’s other original elite dance team. 

The team that Quinn put together was a last minute passion filled effort that carried on to officially name themselves the “TBD’s”, standing for “to be determined”. 

Hearing this name seemed to enlighten a few viewers as Christalynn Storck, a Palo Verde senior, said, “it felt inspiring for all of the, you know, kids who don’t fit in”. 

Although Quinn got discouraged and the new team was nearly permanently disbanded, they each rose above and became better than before from those hardships they encountered. 

“It motivated me and made me want to do better,” says Jada Zebe, a junior at Palo Verde. The team made it to the “Work It” final competitive stage and managed to score the highest score, winning and defeating the Thunderbirds, while finding pride in their newfound talent and passions. It brought forward many emotional factors that affected each and every character, including the smaller background characters, in a positive and peaceful way. 

Overall this is an easily inspiring and heartwarming story about prioritizing what makes you happy and what you’re passionate about. Personally, I enjoyed the inspirational message behind the entire film, as it brought certain feelings and philosophical thoughts that people of younger ages have, but don’t typically discuss.

I think it is important for everyone to check this movie out, as it makes for a great and mood lifting movie night.