While there have been many high school comedies, the best are the ones that transport you back to that time with honesty and humor. A film like Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird had such a specificity and realism to the plight of its title character, Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade latched onto the awkwardness and deep loneliness that can come from that period, and Kelly Fremon Craig’s The Edge of Seventeen showed just how confusing being a teenager can be. These types of high school films not only make you cringe with their truth and clarity about this point in one’s life that most people would choose to forget, but they also have a sense of warmth to them, as though we’re viewing these events from the other side — both aware of how uncomfortable those years were, but with the knowledge that things do get better.

Brian, the feature directorial debut of Will Ropp, is the rare teen high school comedy that completely nails that intersection, a film that’s extremely funny, but with an immense amount of heart and kindness, as well as truth about what those years are like. Written by Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Seth Meyers writer Mike Scollins, Brian is the type of movie that is hilarious not just because the jokes are brilliant, but because they resonate so deeply and authentically with anyone watching it. Brian isn’t just the best film out of this year’s SXSW — it’s one of the funniest films to come out this year so far.

'Brian' Follows a High School Student With Extreme Anxiety

Ben Wang, of Karate Kid: Legends and The Long Walk, stars as the titular Brian, a high school student who has extreme struggles with anxiety. Everyone in school knows about Brian’s anxiety, which is only exacerbated by this knowledge. When everything gets to be too much, Brian will have an outburst of panic, as though he simply can’t take it anymore. Brian visits his therapist (William H. Macy) twice a week, and his parents (Edi Patterson and Randall Park) are understanding, even though his brother, Kyle (Sam Li), can be a cause of even more frustration. It’s extremely hard when kids like dumbass Travis (Thomas Barbusca) pick on him, especially when bringing up Ben’s love for his teacher, Ms. Osweiler (Natalie Morales).

But things begin to turn around for Ben when he gains a new friend in Justin (Joshua Colley). Justin just transferred to Ben’s school after getting kicked out of his Christian school for admitting he doesn’t believe in God. This new friendship gives Ben slightly more confidence, to the point that he decides to run for class president — a move that is almost entirely motivated by his desire to be closer to Ms. Osweiler.

'Brian' Is a Fantastic Coming-of-Age Teen Comedy

Image via SXSW

Ropp and Scollins know how to test and push Brian, but without ever making him the butt of the joke. As Brian tries to open up more, there are, of course, moments where things don’t go as planned and outbursts continue, yet it is never as though Scollins’ screenplay is picking on him. As Brian moves forward, we’re watching Brian as a character gain self-confidence and understanding of his own limitations and potential.

In doing this, Scollins’ script addresses the very real anxiety that kids in high school find themselves in all the time. Brian simply can’t help his frustrations and the problems it causes him, yet that’s part of what makes him who he is. Brian would absolutely love to change the way he sees the world, but he can’t, and it’s this very thing that makes him different that also helps him in the long run. Brian finds just the right way to address that feeling of being different, while also never demonizing it as something that necessarily needs to be "fixed."

Brian is also laugh-out-loud funny throughout, and it’s clear Scollins knows just how to cram as many jokes as possible into this story, while still hitting the narrative beats that this story needs to go through. The laugh-per-minute ratio here is off the charts, from the out-of-pocket things Brian might say in an awkward situation, to the dynamics between Brian and, well, everyone, from his parents to his crush. Every moment here is full of great humor to a truly impressive extent.

Ben Wang Is a Hilarious, Anxiety-Riddled Lead in 'Brian'

Image via SXSW

What ties this all together is a wonderful lead performance by Ben Wang. Between this and the upcoming Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, 2026 is the year the world notices his comedic brilliance. Yes, Scollins’ jokes are fantastic, but it’s Wang’s delivery that makes this script sing. Sometimes these jokes come through in his outbursts, or sometimes, it's in the awkward situations he finds himself in, as he sputters out just the right thing at the right time. His comedic timing is remarkable, and it’s the type of performance that inherently endears us to this character right from the beginning.

From top to bottom, Brian’s cast is packed with charming performances. Randall Park and Edi Patterson play off each other in ridiculous fashion, each pushing each other to go more and more ludicrous, while both figuring out how to be there for Brian in ways that are surprisingly touching. In a fairly reserved role, Macy, as Ben’s therapist, leaves his mark, while also being quietly funny in his own way. Brian could’ve used a bit more of Natalie Morales (Brian would also probably appreciate that, too), but she is a fun character for Brian to try and navigate. Joshua Colley’s Justin also manages to feel like a very real type of kid who would befriend someone like Brian out of nowhere, just because he seems like an interesting person to be around.

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But all of this works because it all ties back to Brian himself, and these dynamics grow and change in quite lovely ways. Ropp and Scollins know that character is of the utmost importance here, and every single person Brian interacts with is a blast to watch. Again, these interactions aren’t comedy for comedy's sake, they each have a deeper purpose in watching Brian’s growth over the course of the film, and it leads to some beautiful and tender moments with characters we’d never expect to see.

Brian is an absolute blast and a hysterical coming-of-age story, centered on an impressive lead performance by Ben Wang, and an absolutely perfect handling of character and tone by Ropp and Scollins. Brian deserves to be amongst the great high school coming-of-age comedies that paved the way before it.

Brian premiered at the 2026 SXSW Festival.

Review

8 10

Brian

A fantastic and hilarious entry into the coming-of-age teenager comedy canon.

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Comedy

Release Date

March 14, 2026

Runtime

94 minutes

Director

Will Ropp

Writers

Mike Scollins

Producers

Casey Hanley, Jason Carden, Michael Shoemaker, Mike Scollins, Seth Meyers, Thomas Mahoney, Will Ropp

Cast

• 
  William H. Macy

  Uncredited
• 
  Ben Wang

  Brian

Brian is a film set in a high school where an acerbic student, prone to panic attacks, enters the race for class president. His candidacy is driven by a desire to get closer to his teacher, intertwining personal ambition with his hidden motives.

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Pros & Cons

• Brian is a hysterical comedy with a great script by Mike Scollins.
• Ben Wang proves that he's a tremendous comedy lead in Brian.
• Brian manages to be funny while also telling a touching story about anxiety in high school.