Severed Members Abound in The Trailer for Netflix's The Package

Sometimes, we really do wonder what is going on over at Netflix’s acquisitions department. The streaming service, in a bid to outdo all of its competitors, seems eager to snap up just about any film that it can secure exclusive rights to, including the likes of the upcoming sci-fi thriller Extinction, which just released a trailer yesterday. Today, on the other hand, it’s The Package getting the promotional treatment, and all we can say after reading a synopsis is … wow. A teen movie about severed genitals in the woods that is also … a comedy? Not what we would have expected. The official synopsis is as follows:

When a group of teenage friends goes on a spring break camping trip, an unfortunate accident sets off a race against time to save their friend’s most prized possession.

The trailer, which you can view below, makes it quite plain as to what that possession might be, although they stop short of outright saying it in an effort to pump up the movie’s “risque factor” and tantalize the audience. The overall effect feels something like a raunchy, 2000’s-era American Pie sequel, combined with the “horny teens in the woods” vibe of earlier sex comedies such as Meatballs or Porky’s. We’re not sure if that’s a good thing or not—you can judge for yourself after watching the trailer, but it’s clear that they’re aiming for “dumb fun.”

The Package comes to us from director Jake Szymanski (Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates), who also directed the well-regarded HBO mockumentary Tour de Pharmacy. It stars Daniel Doheny as the lead, seen most recently in this year’s Alex Strangelove, as well as Eduardo Franco, who memorably appeared as a supporting player in Netflix’s American Vandal, as the kid whose “package” has been severed. How they manage to present this as a comedy, rather than a horror film about a kid bleeding to death in the woods, isn’t entirely clear at this time.

Severed Members Abound in The Trailer for Netflix’s The Package