Movie-goers are long overdue for a good laugh. I mean that deep, can-barely-catch-your-breath type of laugh. The kind of laugh that makes you wonder: Did I pee? Sure, we’ve chuckled and giggled this year, but no film has made the audience roar as loud as Lionsgate’s new comedic release Joy Ride.
This directorial debut from Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) nestles nicely into the hard R comedy genre, then spreads out and gets comfortable. There’s nothing guilty about the pleasures of this film. It’s nasty and at some points, completely outrageous. The film has you on a bungee. You’re freefalling through pure unadulterated fun and shenanigans. Then, when you’re at the end of the cord, you swing back up through tender moments that’ll make you want to embrace your closest friends.
Audrey (Tony Award nominee Ashley Park; Emily in Paris) and Lolo (Sherry Cola; Shortcomings, Good Trouble) have been friends since childhood. They were the only two Asian kids living in their Washington suburb, which is technically how they met in the first place. Audrey was adopted by a white couple. When they noticed Lolo and her parents in the park one day, they asked if Lolo would play with their daughter Audrey and the rest is history.
Stuck like glue, which can be good or bad depending on how you look at it, Audrey and Lolo have been besties ever since. In fact, they even live together. Well, technically, Lolo lives in Audrey’s backyard, but the proximity should still count.
It’s evident from the start that Audrey and Lolo are opposite sides of the same coin. Lolo is unapologetic. She’s bold, fierce, and carries a ~roll with the punches~ type of chill. She’s a mixed-media artist who crafts art to break down the taboos surrounding sex. We see this in her recent piece inspired by their childhood playground where she and Audrey first met, filled with plastic vaginas and penises and a tittie sandbox.
On the flip side, Audrey appears to be very Type A. Perhaps being adopted by two white parents created a need to achieve certain levels to become society’s version of “good enough” in a variety of boxes. It’s no surprise that Audrey is a lawyer. She’s one client away from becoming partner, which is the catalyst for this trip that goes every which way except for as planned.
Audrey invites Lolo on her work trip so that Lolo can be her Mandarin translator. While in route, Lolo drops the news that her cousin Deadeye (standup comedian Sabrina Wu) will be joining the trip. Don’t worry, you’ll understand instantly why they’re called that. After they arrive in China, they meet up with Audrey’s college friend Kat (Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu; Everything Everywhere All At Once) who is a famous Chinese soap opera star.
After a wild time at club Radiance drinking thousand-year shots and playing a slapping game, the client, Chao (Ronny Chieng; M3GAN), is ultimately turned off by Audrey’s lack of connection to her Chinese culture. Lolo interjects and tells Chao that Audrey’s biological mother lives in China and that they’re super close. Chao tells Audrey to invite her mother to his family shindig and he’ll sign the paperwork there.
“Dragons birth dragons. Phoenix birth pheonix. The mouse’s son will dig holes.”
Chao – Joy Ride
This change in course is what carries us through most of the film and some of what will be the audience’s favorite moments. How can you not laugh at a devil’s threesome, K-pop posers, and an animal hay ride?
Co-written by Lim and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong (Family Guy), Joy Ride feels like something fresh out of our 00s comedy era. The film doesn’t shy away from sex. From the moment we see Lolo’s portrait of a lotus flower featuring beautiful pussy petals, we know exactly what we’re in for. And while we expect the crude humor and surprise nudity, the film strikes a perfect balance between hilarity and heartfelt introspection.
As hard-hitting as the jokes are, the themes of friendship, identity, and self-discovery hit just as hard. Audrey had never had any interest in locating her birth parents, but her journey to China unveiled the gaps in her identity that her controlled lifestyle failed to fill.
Although I’m not Asian American, I resonated with aspects of Audrey’s experience as being an “other” in America often requires a unique kind of hustle. The film sheds light on how culture can be overlooked when success is achieved in its absence. Sending Audrey to close the deal in China, despite her limited knowledge of Chinese culture, reflects the assumptions and stereotypes faced by many Asian individuals. Her boss knew that her parents are white and yet, she’s Asian so he sends her anyway.
The chemistry among the four friends is palpable, as Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, Sherry Cola, and Sabrina Wu deliver outstanding performances. Their on-screen fun is infectious, making it clear that genuine camaraderie was present both in front of and behind the camera.
Joy Ride is the ultimate comedy experience. It’s a no-holds-barred journey that celebrates the bonds of friendship and embraces all aspects of oneself, flaws and past mistakes included.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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