Joy Ride is a 2023 comedy film directed by Adele Lim, in her feature directorial debut, and written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, from a story by Lim, Chevapravatdumrong, and Hsiao. From the producers of Neighbors and the co-screenwriter of Crazy Rich Asians, the film had its world premiere at SXSW on March 17th, 2023.

When Audrey’s (Ashley Park) business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo (Sherry Cola), her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo’s eccentric cousin. Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.

Starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, Sabrina Wu, Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians), Lori Tan Chinn (Awkwafina is Nora From Queens), David Denman (Greenland), Annie Mumolo (Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar), Desmond Chiam (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Alexander Hodge (Insecure), and Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians).

Joy Ride made its debut in theaters on July 7th, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

When the first trailer was released I had heard literally nothing about Joy Ride, but after watching it I was genuinely intrigued. And once the near-perfect ratings from early screenings at SXSW in March were released, I was basically like holy shit I need to circle this on my calendar. I love me a good comedy, especially a good R-rated comedy that has a solid screenplay and a terrific cast, and this seemed to fit the bill. So I made my way to the theater on opening day, grabbed my soda and the biggest popcorn they had, and made my way to my comfy recliner. So, was my experience nothing more than a regretful experience of me consuming way too much popcorn or did Joy Ride live up to the lofty expectations? Keep reading to find out!

Even though my expectations were very high, I am very pleased to say that Joy Ride was a damn near perfect film as far as R-rated comedies go. The film was packed with vulgar language as expected, had a ton of laugh-out-loud moments, mocked woke culture at damn near every turn and just found a way to be smart and ridiculous at the same time. I loved all of the characters and felt like each one served their respective purpose, and I was impressed by the fact that the film also included what felt like a genuine emotional element in the final act which I didn’t necessarily expect. The movie absolutely flies by at a smooth hour and a half, and I enjoyed watching the story unfold. As far as R-rated comedies go, Joy Ride is definitely over-the-top but it somewhat felt more grounded compared to similar films and ended up having a great message about family and friendship which I really appreciated. I felt like I left the theater with a bit more substance than I anticipated.

The cast was a massive bright spot for this film, and I felt like they crushed it. Comedies often rely on the chemistry of the cast to ensure certain jokes land and it all came together here. I will start with Ashley Park, and let me just say I felt a little racist assuming she was related to actor Randall Park, but I did the necessary research and she is not. All jokes aside, I loved her in this role as she plays Audrey, the American-born go-getter who finds herself relying on her heritage to try and help close a big career-defining business deal. I haven’t seen the Netflix romantic comedy series Emily in Paris, but I have heard good things and apparently, she is fantastic in that. She began her acting career in the theater so she has some real-deal acting chops, and after seeing her in this movie it was clear that she is a versatile and very talented actress, but also very attractive which is also nice. Park played off the rest of the cast extremely well and I was 100% bought into her character from the start. Stephanie Hsu co-stars as Kat, Audrey’s childhood friend who is the screwup of the group living out of Audrey’s garage and essentially refusing to grow up. Hsu was downright hilarious in this role, and the chemistry she had with Park was a big reason why everything worked so well.

Sabrina Wu plays Deadeye, the painfully socially awkward member of the crew who basically ends up along for the ride. I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about Wu’s character at first, but she grew on me and by the end of the film she was definitely one of my favorites. Her character was just so different from the others, and although she was considered the weird one, in many ways she was the most relatable by the end. Sherry Cola stars as Lolo, the successful actress best friend of Audrey who she met in college. From the start Hsu and Cola clash in the battle of the best friends, and it is hilarious watching these two do everything in their power to try and ruin the reputation of the other.

Some of the characters feel a bit outlandish at times, but so much of the film felt grounded in the reality of today and I thought that the characters provided a fantastic balance. I also need to shout out a stellar supporting cast including Daniel Dae Kim in a very small but important role, Timothy Simmons as Frank, Desmond Chiam as Lolo’s fiancé Clarence, Ronny Chieng as Chao the businessman Audrey is trying to win over, and last but not least Lori Tan Chinn who basically plays the same nutty grandma character in the comedy series Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. Oh, and I can’t forget about the FANTASTIC cameo from former NBA player Baron Davis, so good!

I touched on the story briefly but I wanted to talk a bit more about it considering it was much better than I anticipated. Now I always get annoyed when so-called critics slam a comedy for lacking a story because sometimes the story is little more than a placeholder and the cast is the star of the show. I mean surely this doesn’t make a film a masterpiece by any means, but it can still be a very good movie within the comedy genre. In this day and age, we are more critical or “self-aware”, and yes I put that in air quotes for a reason, but sometimes it is honestly draining and downright annoying. But to get back on track a bit, Joy Ride has received significant positive feedback from both critics and viewers for a reason, it really is that good.

Yes, they did a great job casting the film, but this isn’t another movie with three or four big names that are capable of carrying the film. We are treated with a relatively simple yet timely and effective screenplay that takes full advantage of the cast, but it also puts the effort in to mock the way things are today without necessarily offending anyone, which is no easy task. I felt like the characters all felt relatable in their own way, and most of us can also relate to the balance of family and friendship especially as you get older. More than anything else I just appreciated the film’s message, loved that pretty much all of the jokes landed, and I know for a fact that I will be watching Joy Ride more in the future as it will likely find its way into my regular rotation of comedies.

THE BAD

Aside from stealing its title from a very underrated 2001 thriller starring the late Paul Walker and Steve Zahn, I am genuinely hard-pressed to try and pick apart Joy Ride, mainly because it perfectly executes what it sets out to do, from start to finish really. If I had to try and really dig deep to have a gripe I would have to say the film is slightly geared towards the female audience in terms of the majority of the jokes and the overall theme, but I was hardly surprised by this considering a primarily female cast as well as all female screenwriters. This isn’t a knock on the film as much as it is pointing out a fact that may entice female viewers a bit more. Also, this is an R-rated comedy, so if you have an issue with profanity or jokes of a sexual nature, needless to say, this movie is not for you.

THE VERDICT

An R-rated comedy with a very well-written and timely screenplay matched perfectly with a fantastic cast of characters, Joy Ride is a well-rounded film packed with laughs that never takes itself too seriously while offering a little something for everyone. Even though I went in with high expectations for obvious reasons, I still really enjoyed this movie and felt like it maybe even exceeded my expectations somehow. Considering the genre I was impressed with the fact that the film stuck with me well after leaving the theater, and Joy Ride is probably one of the easier movies to recommend to pretty much anyone in recent memory. Aside from kids of course, maybe go ahead and keep the kids at home for this one.

Oh and just a quick disclaimer, I know a few people who don’t do well with vomit so feel free to reach out about the parts where you should probably cover your eyes and ears. You have been warned.