by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
What is one of the most important things in life? Friendship. Humans need connection and the shared experiences that we can gain through companionship. We all have different types of friends, from those we have known our whole lives, the ones we meet at college, the ones we connect with online, those we make at work, and so many more. Some of the most relatable films out there are the ones that highlight how significant and impactful friendship can be. It just so happens that the group-of-friends-go-for-a-trip comedy is quite popular today. Director Adele Lim delivers the latest in this line of comedies, Joy Ride.
What makes Joy Ride stand out as a fresh new comedy, while shaking up this more regular formula? Audrey (Ashley Park) is a successful lawyer who was adopted by a white family as a baby. She is being sent on a work trip to her homeland of China, but there is one issue… she doesn’t speak the language. But when her lifelong friend stuck in arrested development, Lolo (Sherry Cola), her college roommate-turned-successful-actress, Kat (Stephanie Hsu), and Lolo’s introverted and quirky cousin, Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) join the journey… things get a little crazy. Sure, the formula fits the bill, but there are so many layers to this comedy. There are some familiar elements, like the conflicting ambitions of friends, the warring “real” best friend conflict, hiding your sexual past from your new partner, and the socially awkward friend. Each of these is done in a way where they deliver plenty of laughs and heart.
But what are the elements that set this one apart? The biggest wrinkle is that Audrey is attempting to find her birth mother. This journey drives the plot and delivers some impressively impactful emotional moments at the climax of the film — the tears were running in the theater. Audiences are so used to male-driven comedies being overtly sexual and raunchy. Many of those have nothing on Joy Ride. It is refreshing to see this film swing for the fences and be so sex positive. Sure, some of the gags go a bridge too far, but each of them is SO funny. The film also tackles some uniquely Asian elements, including the loss of Audrey’s culture. She struggles with the fact that she doesn’t really connect with her background. This insecurity drives plenty of the drama, and it is conveyed so earnestly. There are some familiar tropes in such comedies, but there are even more fresh turns that will have you forgetting those tropes even quicker.
What is the driving element of enjoyment for this film? The laughs. This is one of the funniest films to come out in theaters in a while. Comedies have been having a rough go at the cinema, but Joy Ride has “raunchy, rated-R hit” written all over it. In the vein of Girls Trip, it allows the audience to divulge in a fully realized culture, while never skimping on laughs. The laughs come from sex, drugs, and no-holds-barred behavior. Lim walks a tightrope of seemingly easy laughs, but always seems to find genuine nature in them. But the amazing chemistry of the cast opens the door to so many laughs.
How great is this cast? Park is a great lead who gets her few moments to go wild, but mostly she is anchoring the whole film. Cola is hilarious as the most consistently funny character, with plenty of barbs, her running mouth, and her general comfort with all topics. Hsu (coming off a career-making performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once) brings plenty of range, as she must act uptight and reserved, but when her hair is let down, she has tons of fun. But Wu is the surprise here as the awkward yet hilariously explosive Deadeye. There is always the strange one in the group, but this time they are a K-Pop-loving and online-living nerd who is genuinely just trying to make friends. Wu brings a strange vibe to the role, but also a genuine heart that makes Deadeye the real MVP.
Is Joy Ride the comedy to get you back in the theaters? Heck yes! It is downright hilarious from start to finish (unless it is trying to bring the tears, which it does so well too). This is an absurd journey that shockingly has tons to say in between the tattoo, drug, and sex jokes. This should be the giant launching pads for all involved, as Lim and her cast deliver the goods.
Score: 9/10
Joy Ride is currently playing in theaters
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