Best of the Best Review (2026): A Fun Dance Comedy With More on Its Mind Than Winning
Best of the Best looks like a straightforward college dance movie at first: two friends, a competitive team, a championship and enough choreography to fill the screen.
But that's only part of what the film is doing.
Maya and Anjali arrive at UCLA carrying very different expectations about college, dance and themselves. When they join the university's Bollywood-fusion dance team, their friendship gets caught in the middle of the competition. Netflix describes the film as a coming-of-age comedy centered on the two childhood friends and their attempt to reach the US championship.
The familiar setup isn't necessarily a weakness. What gives the film its personality is the South Asian-American setting and the friendship between its two leads.
The movie doesn't always go as deep as it could, and some of the story beats are easy to predict. Still, the performances, choreography and cultural setting give it enough energy to remain enjoyable.
YoMovies2 Rating: 3.5/5
Introduction
Dance movies have a built-in advantage.
Even when you know where the story is heading, there is something satisfying about watching a group of characters put everything they have into a final performance.
Best of the Best understands that.
Directed by Lena Khan and written by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, the film follows childhood friends Maya, played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Anjali, played by Priyanka Kedia. They enter UCLA and find themselves pulled into the world of competitive Bollywood-fusion dance.
That setup gives the movie three things to work with at once: college life, friendship and dance.
The interesting part is that the championship isn't really the most important thing happening to the characters.
Their friendship is.
And that's where the movie is at its best.
Story and Plot
Maya and Anjali have been close friends for years.
They also share a love for dancing.
Their transition into college should be a fresh start, but an embarrassing previous dance performance continues to hang over Maya. When they discover UCLA's competitive Bollywood dance team, Maya sees an opportunity to prove herself again.
Anjali has her own reasons for getting involved.
The team is led by Ronak, and what initially seems like an exciting new experience gradually becomes much more complicated. The two friends don't always see the competition—or their own futures—in the same way.
That difference slowly creates distance between them.
This is where Best of the Best moves away from being just another competition movie.
The question isn't simply whether the team can win.
It's whether Maya and Anjali can get through the competition without losing the relationship that brought them there in the first place.
The basic storyline is familiar. If you've seen college dance movies before, you probably won't be shocked by every turn.
The film's appeal comes more from how these familiar pieces are mixed with South Asian-American culture and the personalities of its characters.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Maya
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is probably the biggest reason the movie has as much personality as it does.
Maya is outspoken, ambitious and sometimes frustratingly impulsive. She isn't written as the perfectly likable protagonist who always makes the correct decision.
That's a good thing.
Her mistakes are part of the character.
Ramakrishnan gives Maya enough energy to make those rough edges entertaining rather than irritating. There is also a more vulnerable side underneath the confidence, particularly when Maya's desire to prove herself starts affecting her relationship with Anjali.
Her physical preparation for the movie was also substantial. Ramakrishnan has said she went through a four-month dance bootcamp involving as many as six classes a day, six days a week. Director Lena Khan said both lead actors made major progress despite not starting as professional dancers.
That preparation matters because the dance scenes need the leads to look like people who actually belong in the competition.
Priyanka Kedia as Anjali
Priyanka Kedia gives Anjali a different kind of presence.
Where Maya is more openly rebellious, Anjali is easier to read as the friend who tries to keep things together.
That difference is important.
If both characters behaved in exactly the same way, the friendship conflict wouldn't have much weight. Instead, the movie gives them different personalities and different pressures.
Kedia doesn't need to turn every scene into a dramatic moment. Much of her performance works because she keeps Anjali grounded.
The Supporting Cast
The supporting cast adds the kind of personality you'd expect from a college ensemble.
Ankur Rathee plays Ronak, the charismatic leader of the dance team, while Chaneil Kular plays Arjun, who becomes important to Maya's personal story. Hasan Minhaj also appears as Professor Hamza Latif.
The wider ensemble adds more energy to the college environment, although the two leads receive most of the emotional attention.
Direction
Lena Khan keeps the film moving.
That sounds like a small compliment, but it is important for this kind of movie.
A dance comedy can easily become repetitive if every scene exists only to set up the next competition.
Best of the Best avoids that problem reasonably well by moving between friendship drama, college life, comedy and dance.
There is also a nice contrast between the everyday college scenes and the bigger performance moments.
The movie feels most alive when those two sides meet.
Screenplay
The screenplay is where I think the movie is most mixed.
The central friendship is easy to understand, and the cultural setting gives the story a personality that many conventional college comedies don't have.
But the underlying structure is familiar.
You can recognize the competition-movie mechanics.
There is the goal.
There is the rivalry.
There are misunderstandings.
There is a friendship under pressure.
And eventually, everything moves toward the big performance.
That predictability doesn't destroy the movie, but it limits how surprising it can be.
The movie has a distinctive setting, but there are moments when you wish the screenplay would take a bigger risk with it.
Comedy and Humor
The humor is uneven, but when it works, it gives the movie plenty of charm.
Some jokes come naturally from the characters and their environment. Others feel more like traditional college-comedy material.
That difference is noticeable.
The movie is funniest when it doesn't seem desperate to make a joke.
Its cultural references also give certain scenes an extra layer for viewers familiar with South Asian families, college life and the diaspora experience.
Dance and Choreography
This is the movie's obvious centerpiece.
And thankfully, the dancing doesn't feel like an afterthought.
The actors went through extensive training before filming, with choreography incorporating different dance traditions and styles.
The film also uses Bollywood references as part of its storytelling rather than treating them simply as colorful background material.
One of the most ambitious sequences involves the team creating a performance built around a heist of the Koh-i-Noor diamond, mixing contemporary ideas with Bollywood dance traditions.
There is, however, an interesting criticism: the frequent editing cuts sometimes make it harder to appreciate the choreography as a complete performance.
When dancers have clearly put that much work into their performances, sometimes the camera should simply stay out of the way and let them perform.
Music
Music is obviously essential to a film built around Bollywood-fusion dance.
The soundtrack mixes recognizable Bollywood material with newer sounds, electronic elements and original material.
One particularly notable contribution is A.R. Rahman's "Aamaasee", which features in the film's climactic performance.
The music works best when it supports the choreography instead of overpowering it.
Cultural Identity
This is probably the most interesting aspect of Best of the Best beyond the dancing.
The characters aren't simply participating in a generic American college experience.
Their South Asian background influences their relationship with family, expectations, identity and success.
That gives the movie an additional layer.
At the same time, this is one area where the film could have gone further.
It has an interesting cultural world.
Sometimes it only scratches the surface.
What Works
The Friendship
Maya and Anjali are the emotional center of the movie. Their relationship gives the competition genuine consequences.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
She brings plenty of energy to Maya and keeps the character watchable even when Maya makes questionable choices.
Priyanka Kedia
Kedia gives Anjali a softer counterbalance and helps make the central friendship believable.
Dance Sequences
The choreography is energetic and the extensive preparation by the cast shows.
Cultural Setting
The South Asian-American college environment gives the familiar dance-movie formula a distinct identity.
Pacing
The film rarely feels like it is standing still. The combination of comedy, friendship and dance keeps the story moving.
What Doesn't Work
The Story Can Be Predictable
The movie follows several familiar competition-film patterns.
Some Jokes Miss
The humor isn't consistently at the same level.
The Cultural Themes Could Be Deeper
The setting gives the film an opportunity to explore identity more seriously, but not every idea receives enough attention.
Some Dance Editing Is Too Busy
Fast cuts can make complicated choreography harder to appreciate.
Some Supporting Characters Need More Development
The two leads receive the majority of the emotional attention, leaving some of the surrounding characters comparatively thin.
Who Should Watch Best of the Best?
This movie should appeal particularly to viewers who enjoy:
- College comedies
- Dance movies
- Coming-of-age stories
- Friendship-focused films
- Bollywood-inspired entertainment
- South Asian-American stories
- Lighthearted movies with a competitive angle
You don't need to be a dance expert to understand the story.
The emotional core is simple enough: two friends enter a new chapter of their lives and discover that growing up can change a friendship.
Is Best of the Best Worth Watching?
If you're expecting a completely new take on the dance-movie formula, Best of the Best probably won't surprise you very often.
But if you're looking for an energetic, accessible movie with strong chemistry between its leads and plenty of dance, it has enough going for it.
The film's strongest quality is not originality in its basic plot.
It's personality.
The cultural setting, the friendship between Maya and Anjali, the performances and the choreography give a familiar framework its own identity.
Final Verdict
Best of the Best isn't a perfect dance movie.
Its story occasionally follows the safest possible route, some jokes don't land, and the cultural themes could have been explored with more depth.
But there is a lot to like here.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia make the central friendship believable, the dance sequences have real energy, and Lena Khan keeps the movie moving without letting the competition completely overwhelm the characters.
What ultimately makes the film work is that the championship isn't the only thing these characters are fighting for.
They're also trying to figure out who they are.
And sometimes they're trying to figure out whether growing up means leaving old friendships behind or finding a new way to hold on to them.
YoMovies2 Rating: 3.5/5
Final Verdict: A lively and charming college dance comedy that succeeds through its performances, friendship story and cultural personality, even when its familiar formula keeps it from reaching something truly exceptional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Best of the Best about?
The film follows childhood friends Maya and Anjali as they enter UCLA and become involved with a competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team while dealing with friendship, college life and personal growth.
Who stars in Best of the Best?
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Priyanka Kedia and Ankur Rathee lead the cast, with Hasan Minhaj, Janina Gavankar, Chaneil Kular, Lilly Singh and others in supporting roles.
Who directed Best of the Best?
The movie was directed by Lena Khan and written by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam.
Is Best of the Best a dance movie?
Yes. Competitive Bollywood-fusion dance is central to the story, with the characters preparing for a major collegiate championship.
What is the rating of Best of the Best on YoMovies2?
3.5/5.
Is Best of the Best suitable for everyone?
The movie is rated PG-13 and is primarily aimed at teen and adult audiences.
