X
- 2021
- R
- Hulu
- 1 h 43 m
- 2021
- R
- Hulu
- 1 h 43 m
Summary Straight-laced Marcus and Emily (Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji) are befriended by wild, thrill-seeking partiers Ron and Kyla (John Cena, Meredith Hagner) at a resort in Mexico. Living in the moment, the usually level-headed couple lets loose to enjoy a week of uninhibited fun and debauchery with their new “vacation friends.” Months after ...
Directed By: Clay Tarver
- 2021
- R
- Hulu
- 1 h 43 m
- 2021
- R
- Hulu
- 1 h 43 m
Vacation Friends
49
5.7
Summary Straight-laced Marcus and Emily (Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji) are befriended by wild, thrill-seeking partiers Ron and Kyla (John Cena, Meredith Hagner) at a resort in Mexico. Living in the moment, the usually level-headed couple lets loose to enjoy a week of uninhibited fun and debauchery with their new “vacation friends.” Months after ...
Directed By: Clay Tarver
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
49
38% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
31% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
31% Negative
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
49
38% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
31% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
31% Negative
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
Vacation Friends isn’t exactly groundbreaking or revolutionary in its comedy — it does have a few stock situations and characters (the extended stylized drug scene, the disapproving father played by Bunny Colvin) — and one could argue that it doesn’t have much in the way of nutritional value. Yet it allows us to enjoy empty calories in a way not many movies of its ilk do, offering just enough to elevate the genre.
Vacation Friends is a perfectly enjoyable movie to fire up on a cozy Friday night, as long as you don’t expect too much out of it.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 23 User Ratings
5.7
35% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
48% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
17% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 23 User Ratings
5.7
35% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
48% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
17% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
Last weekend, Hulu released an original comedy, Vacation Friends, starring John Cena, Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji and Meredith Hagner. It is the story of a straight-laced couple on a vacation in Mexico that meets an uninhibited pair who takes the former on a wild ride. At vacation's end, much to the the dismay and trepidation of the straight-laced couple their new friendship did not stay in Mexico. Essentially, like an odd-couple romantic comedy, you know how these mismatched pairs will come together in the end. The real joy about Vacation Friends has to be how we get to where we know we are going.
Lil Rel and Yvonne Orji play the couple, Marcus and Emily. Marcus is an by-the-book, owner of a construction company who has meticulously planned a Mexican getaway all for the purposes of proposing to Emily. Of course, his plans go wrong - what do you expect? Emily's most distinctive characteristic is that her upper class father does not approve of Marcus. Because of the necessary plot devices, Emily and Marcus encounter Ron and Kyla, played by John Cena and Meredith Hagner, who are reckless in every way possible. Emily and Marcus and Ron and Kyla would never be friends or even meet in real life, but on vacation with inhibitions gone, they bond and get into some crazy hijinks. I'll say Lil Rel, Yvonne, Meredith and Cena give their all to these characters. Meredith Hagner is a standout on her regular TV gig, "Search Party", and she likewise goes for broke here. John Cena is at his daffy, comedic best. It's all manic and scenery-chewing, but it works for this kind of comedy. While Cena and Hagner get the more outlandish characters, Lil Rel and Yvonne get to have nice chemistry and attempt to ground the film in some realness. If you enjoy these performances and the ensemble as a whole, then you should have no problem chuckling through this fast-paced comedy.
Well, Vacation Friends is a quick comedy that leans heavily on a well-worn plot. Since we know the plot, the film has to stand on the performances of it's cast; and they come through in spades. Vacation Friends is an easy watch that is fun to catch on these waning summer evening. Grab your box of popcorn and stream to your heart's content.
S2S: I just want to add to this review. I haven't wanted to re-watch a comedy in a few years. I absolutely can re-watch this movie and actually want to. That's saying a lot. The movie isn't perfect and in fact kind of annoying at parts but it just so enjoyable, crazy and funny. Definitely a big box of fresh popcorn.
Report
There’s nothing especially revelatory about Vacation Friends. There are a few genuinely good laughs to be had involving drugs, golf and a catamaran, both during the vacation and the wedding. And there’s some tedium during the inevitable falling out segment. But it’s enjoyable in a way that doesn’t make you think about lost time and experiences over the past year.
The talented quartet saves the movie, but making it great would take a rewrite.
The base ingredients are here – a charming, comically adept cast, a fun culture clash set-up, idyllic scenery! – but they’re carelessly tossed together rather than combined with any thought, care or even slickness.
Everybody has to lean into the would-be laughs too hard because they’re uncertain there’s another one coming again any time soon. The situations are recycled and dully predictable.
This culture clash comedy is a car crash only John Cena survives.
Vacation Friends was a very pleasant surprise, the movie was entertaining, extremely funny, and very very enjoyable to watch, they might not have a top A list of acting, but they still do a really good job, the way they delivers the comedy is perfect, it just so hilariously funny, overall Vacation Friends is a very good time.
Report
It'll work, yes, but that will depend on how much you're willing to dumb yourself down.
It's foolish to the point of obnoxiousness, and believe it or not, it feels outdated.
It feels like a lost comedy from the 2000's, that was canned and then the world forgot about it.
Maybe this is how it should have remained.
Report
bad
[ bad ]
adjective, worse, worst;(Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36.
not good in any manner or degree.
Report
The story is the same fish out of water comedy plot we've seen 100 times. But the actor's chemistry, charisma, and pure joy of being able to over-actor in this over-the-top comedy makes this more charming than funny.
The filmmakers continually ask us to stretch our suspension of disbelief beyond the point that we can't believe a person would make any of these unrealistic choices. Regardless, our actors hold the movie together enough to make this movie a watch for a boring night in.
Report
Production Company
20th Century Studios,
Broken Road Productions
Release Date Aug 27, 2021
Duration 1 h 43 m
Rating R
Tagline They came home with some extra baggage.
