‘The Exchange’ Trailer: An Exchange Student Becomes The Town Hero In New Comedy From ‘Borat’ Writer Dan Mazer

Good luck recognizing This is Us heartthrob Justin Hartley in the new trailer for The Exchange. Hartley sports an ’80s Tom Selleck ‘stache in the comedy led by Wildlife actor Ed Oxenbould and directed by Dan Mazer, a Sacha Baron Cohen confidante who has co-written both Borat films. Mazer previously directed the comedies I Give it a Year and Dirty Grandpa.

The Exchange follows “a socially awkward but highly enterprising teenager decides to acquire a “mail order best friend”; a sophisticated exchange student (Avan Jogia) from France. Instead, he ends up importing his personal nightmare, a cologne-soaked, chain-smoking, sex-obsessed youth who quickly becomes the hero of his new community.”

Harltey plays the uncomfortably serious gym teacher/lawman Gary Rothbauer, who seems to be single-handedly trying to bring aviators back in style.

Judging by the trailer, this looks closer in tone to Mazer’s writing on Dirty Grandpa than his many collaborations with Cohen, for which he earned an Oscar nomination.

The Exchange opens digitally on July 30th.

 

 

 

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.