Bad Trip

Bad Trip
Starring Eric Andre, Lil Rel Howery, Tiffany Haddish, Michaela Conlin
Directed by Kitao Sakurai

Films like "Jackass" (along with the hit TV series), "Borat," and "Bad Grandpa" managed to provide audiences with a new type of subgenre film: the hidden camera comedy. Secretly filming real peoples' reactions to outlandish antics by its actors resulted in several gut-busting, laugh-out-loud moments that really defined the genre and made household names of stars like Johnny Knoxville, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Bam Margera. Recently, the hit television series "Impractical Jokers" re-ignited this subgenre featuring four lifelong friends who challenge one another to perform far-out assignments, often in the view of unsuspecting average citizens, and it was only a matter of time before this subgenre found its way back to the big screen - in a sense. "Bad Trip" was supposed to be released nationwide in 2020, but as we all know, the cinematic landscape was drastically altered due to the Coronavirus, resulting in the film being bought out by Netflix and showing on its streaming service instead. While I've read several positive reviews about this film, I have to say that I, personally, don't see the appeal - I didn't laugh once, and found it more cringe-worthy and stupid more than anything.

Chris Carey (Eric Andre) is living in Florida and has nothing going for him besides his best friend Bud Malone (Lil Rel Howery), until he runs into his high school crush Maria Li (Michaela Conlin), who runs a successful art gallery in New York City. She invites him to come visit sometime, and he takes it as a chance to begin a romantic relationship with her, and begs Bud to come along for the ride, because he doesn't actually have a ride. Bud takes his sister Trina's (Tiffany Haddish) car while she's in jail, and the two friends embark on an epic trip up north in search for Chris's unrequited love - all the while being tailed by Trina, who escaped from prison, and is on a vendetta to get her car back.

I've never seen "The Eric Andre Show," but I've heard that this film is pretty much a long episode of the series, and obviously it appeals to certain people, but not to me. Seeing Eric Andre and Lil Rel Howery get into mischief in different situations to the chagrin and shock of the unsuspecting public - to me anyway - wasn't at all amusing. I kept thinking that people had to recognize them, but I guess no one did, which also doesn't make sense to me, and especially with someone who's so recognizable as Tiffany Haddish. Even though she didn't wear makeup and didn't look her normal glamorous self, she can't disguise her distinguishing voice, and I know personally if I was interacting with her character, I would've recognized her in an instant.

As the two actors go from one scene to another, I just wanted the film to end, but it kept going. There were some moments (such as when they were in a country bar in Georgia) where I chuckled a few times, but that was the extent of it. Again, I kept wondering how no one recognized them, but I also found myself respecting the actors for taking a chance here as well. In today's day and age, you never know what people will do, and I'm surprised they weren't accosted or assaulted by some of the people witnessing their antics (although there was one scene that they shot in the wrong barbershop, and the owner really did come at them with a knife, so that was interesting).

One positive I can say is that the film was really wholesome in an R-rated way. The jokes they pull weren't at the expense of anyone not in the know, and everyone seemed to really enjoy the experience, which you can tell at the end of the film when they show the highlight reel of the people reacting to finding out they were essentially on hidden camera. Maybe I'm just a stick in the mud, and this could be the comedic relief that we need in today's crazy, wild world - but it just wasn't my cup of tea at all.

Comedy is very subjective, as two people can see the same show and have totally different reactions, and for "Bad Trip," I felt that the entire film was an unfunny, tired journey that - while done with the best of intentions - fell flat in every way possible.

The Score: D-